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Hugh Conway

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Posts posted by Hugh Conway

    WTF IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE

    in Spray

    Posted

    Good questions, Jay. Consider the case of Vietnam. Over the course of a few decades the French and Americans killed millions of Vietnamese - combatants and non-combatants alike. Their country was destroyed, jungles deforested. They have every reason to hate us and want to exact revenge. But do we see Vietnamese terrorists plotting to destroy our country? Do they have protects where they burn our flag and chanting "America is Satan"? If we printed some cartoons mocking their country, people, government and way of life, would they seek to kill the authors and publishers of said cartoons. It seems there's more to it in the case of those in middle eastern countries who want us destroyed - including countries we have never invaded, nor in which we have killed millions. I wonder, just what the difference could be...

     

    They aren't exactly the biggest fans on Americans. Difference? They likely fear the Chinese more.

    avalance schools

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Why the hate, Hugh? I never assumed that you were uninformed, stupid, or a jackass.

     

    no, you just suggest it

    The fact that you insist the Cascade snow pack is uniform throughout its depth suggests that you don't have a very good avalanche education yourself.

     

    I'm not sure where you got the idea I think the Cascade snow pack is uniform, but it's one of farcical exagerated misinterpretations that make this thread priceless. Perhaps when I earlier suggested a backhoe was useful for finding layers in the Cascades? The Cascades get a large number of large storms with generally mild temps and cloudy skys ergo they are generally less intereating than places with less snow cover, and greater temperature and cloud cover variability. Yes, I'm broadly generalizing.

     

    Snowpit feedback and field snow science is one of the few things I see as unique to the field learning environment if you are interested in learning about avalanche avoidance. Weather knowledge and routefinding can be done in other ways much more effectively, imho.

     

    Rescue practice is avalanche hazard mitigation.

     

    I'm not suggesting AIARE is bad, I just don't see it as compellingly better than the other options out there, especially given the higher cost and time requirements that can make attendance difficult. Perhaps thats because I see the courses mentioned here as only a small component next to continued learning (reading, thinking) and time in the field observing and therefore the differences between courses are small next to actually attending one.

     

    That said perhaps I'm looking for different things in Avalanche Education with a different goal and perhaps different background than average. Oh well.

    Insurance Companies

    in Spray

    Posted

    so, why not have some rich financers and maybe some grass roots organizations who care about this issue set up a completely non-profit insurance company whose goal is to minimize operating costs and hassle for it's subscribers while paying for as much of health costs to it's subscribers with an affordable premium? no, i'm not talking about the federal government, but a private non-profit company.

     

    That's what a number of the current health insurers started out as.

     

    They all found it was "better" if they went public. Better = executives get lavish paychecks instead of lavish headquarters

    avalance schools

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    I think the advantage of AIARE course are the consistency in what material is presented and how it is presented.

     

    I fail to see how that is possible given the dramatically different locations the courses are presented in and even different times at the same location. If there are no layers in the snowpack it's hard to get much good field feedback on evaluating layers in the snowpack. Since in my opinion the major benefit of a class is feedback in the field from someone with more knowledge than yourself this variability makes comparisons between courses problematic.

     

    Classroom material etc. can be done most anywhere - there may be an advantage to an oral learner doing it inside, but thats individual dependant.

     

    If this material is so independant of time and space - why do you even need to take a class, unless that is your preferred learning method? Couldn't you just create an exam process for feedback?

     

    Skills used to evaluate and make decisions in avalanche science are consistent regardless of geography.

     

    No shit? I thought avalanches flowed uphill in the Southern Hemisphere.

     

    If you are interested in waving your dick around oh great Mountain Guide! this is a fine thread - because you and sobo's bandstand lecturing is fucking funny. If you want to help others - don't aim your lectures at me, who you've never met, and quite obviously don't know much about.

    return to cold war?

    in Spray

    Posted

    I'm surprised this thing isn't sporting big ole spoked landing gear all hanging down punk ass an shit.

     

    ...with curb feelers, so Ivan doesn't scrub the gangsta whitewalls when he drags up to the club. Yo.

     

    that'd leave less payload room for nuclear missiles

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