zl27

It's a bitch, huh? But I got one shot of cortisone in my foot and stopped running for a few weeks to give it a rest. I haven't had any pain since.

Yep, missed the sarcasm. I hate when I do that. I need some sleep. I agree completely.

My mom broke her neck in exactly the same type of fall as Christopher Reeve. However, get this, she didn't know it until 20-something years later when she was having neck problems, got an x-ray, and the doctor asked her when she had broken her neck. He asked her if she rode horses and then described the type of fall that would cause such a fracture. Sure enough, we looked at old show videos and there it was. Crazy.

I grew up riding horses. Unfortunately, I don't get to ride nearly as much as I'd like to these days. But I did do El Camino a Santiago de Compostela a few years back. Spectacular.

One of my dream places to visit in Chile is the Atacama Desert. I imagine it would be like hiking on the moon. Btw, if you are considering Torres del Paine, keep in mind that the weather is extremely unpredictable and the ozone is very thin, so you'll need to pack accordingly. If you decide to go, feel free to PM me.

I agree; it took a lot of courage for her to admit that. Plus, she did call her supervisor for guidance. He's the bozo. But, then again, she also took a job she was totally unequipped to handle experience-wise. To paraphrase Rick Rescorla, in an emergency, people revert to their training. As for the gate, I don't know why the loggers don't use a lockbox like realtors. Anyway, I didn't intend to debate the merits of the search for the Kims. Sorry for the hijack.

Torres del Paine is sweet! This photo does not do it justice (damn point-and-shoot camera), but my disappointment in the trip's photos inspired my (very expensive) passion for nature photography.

Hey, I'm all for personal responsibility. I completely agree the Kims put themselves in the situation. But, then again, we all make mistakes. The volunteer SARs folks, a pilot in particular, saved Kati and her daughters...heroes in my book. What I am against is incompetence, laziness, and shirking one's job responsibilities. These aren't SARs folks I'm ticked off at. These are government employees who failed to perform the job they are being paid for. An undersheriff not answering his phone (right after a huge storm) because of a football game???? Unconscionable. Btw, the wireless engineer figured out and reported their proximate location 2 days into the search. A lodge owner in the area also called multiple police agencies to report tire tracks down the road (which he couldn't follow in his snowmobile once he hit bare ground) and urged them to check the logging roads thoroughly based on his countless experiences redirecting lost motorists. That was day one of the search. On the other hand, according to a post here, Wampler instructed pilots to check out a tip from a blogger re: something shiny/yellow (?) sighted on the mountain - just one example of the thoroughness of the Hood SAR response. As I said, it's too bad the Hood SAR team wasn't in charge of the Kim SAR effort.

I'm outraged that a wireless engineer estimated the Kims' location to be within the immediate vicinity of Bear Camp Road, but the rescue coordinator did not order a search with a heat-seeking helicopter for two days, even though the National Guard had one fueled and awaiting orders. Not to mention, she had no prior SAR-related experience prior to being hired. But here's the thing that takes the cake...her direct supervisor said he ignored a late-night call from her about the case because he was watching a football game on TV. Absolutely disgusting. If Wampler and the rest of his team had been in charge, I bet James Kim would be home safe and sound now.

Duh. They left a note that there was no one to buy the pass from when they parked, and they would pay for it when they returned. You really are committed to finding any fault you can with these guys, huh? I'm sorry your parents didn't love you enough, but it's time to Kelly, Brian, and Jerry rest in peace.

I emailed that Nancy Grace (who I am convinced is O'Reilly in drag) but no response.

Let your buddy know he'll need to file a police report to collect from his insurance. It will also help him shut down the sale of his gear faster if someone sees it on ebay or elsewhere. Also, if he's got the serial numbers on the electronics and/or watches and files a report, he will have a better chance of getting them back should they happen to show up at a pawn shop. Btw, somewhat related tip....if you ever fly to go climbing and buy your plane ticket with amex, you automatically have trip insurance that you can collect against if your gear is stolen or lost. But, the limit on electronics is $250. And you have to file a police report.

Guess you haven't been thrown against a fence yet!

Keep in mind that insurance prices have skyrocketed across the board in the last few years due to hurricane losses. The re-insurance firms have to get their profits somewhere.

OMG, I'm laughing so hard there's no noise coming out. Too funny.

Some info from the IRS faq: Generally, you must report as income any amount you receive for your disability through an accident or health insurance plan paid for by your employer. If both you and your employer have paid the premiums for the plan, only the amount you receive for your disability that is due to your employer's payments is reported as income. If you pay the entire cost of a health or accident insurance plan, do not include any amounts you receive for your disability as income on your tax return. If you pay the premiums of a health or accident insurance plan through a cafeteria plan, and the amount of the premium was not included as taxable income to you; the premiums are considered paid by your employer, and the disability benefits are fully taxable. Amounts you receive from your employer while you are sick or injured are part of your salary or wages. You must include in your income sick pay from any of the following: - A welfare fund. - A state sickness or disability fund. - An association of employers or employees. - An insurance company, if your employer paid for the plan. Payments you receive from qualified long-term care insurance contracts will generally be excluded from income as reimbursement of medical expenses received for personal injury or sickness under an accident and health insurance contract. Also, certain payments received under a life insurance contract on the life of a terminally or chronically ill individual (accelerated death benefits) can be excluded from income.

I have a fantastic disability policy through a credit union for $25 per month. It even pays the equivalent of a salary for a family member who stays home to care for you (very rare for such a low price). I am/was not a member of the credit union; my mom was a member through her employer (a utility). Btw, they didn't ask any questions about my hobbies.

I don't think there are a lot more of them than us (full disclosure...I am very much a beginner), they are just a hell of a lot louder. Outside of the Hood threads and the rabble-rousing dimwits on cable, I have not heard a single person bitch about their tax dollars going to rescue "those irresponsible types." And I work with a very vocal crowd who do not like their tax dollars being used for anything.

It's logo will be the Jesus Christ lizard.

Is it me, or is Nancy Grace really Bill O'Reilly in drag?

Don't worry, some pretty blond teenager will go missing from a mall in the next week and they'll start pontificating about shopping bans.

I thought the reporter said the climbers might have anchored themselves in using the Y config, much the way ladders are anchored on Everest. Still a stupid comment, but not quite as bad.

I agree, they just can't give the information out to the media until a legal ID has been made. And that can't happen until a visual ID is made by someone he knows or a forensic ID is made. At least that is how it works in some states.

Based on the weather reports when they left, they should have had plenty of time to summit and descend safely with time to spare. Obviously, something went wrong and they got caught in the storm, which arrived a day earlier than predicted, complicating matters even more. Otherwise, they would be home drinking a beer and watching the Cowboys.

I would argue the opposite. Gathering beta from those in the know is absolutely good preparation (and often much better than staid published information). Until we have proof, let's stop speculating they did something wrong. You can do everything right and still have an accident. That is why we have the word in our language. And based on their experience and the families' description of their typical preparation, it is probable they did everything right. So stop the disrespect, please.