J_Fisher

I've got it on good authority the SE Buttress of Cathedral is stellar. You might look into the E Butt of Whitney as well.

You guys are full of shit. You can learn about the true origins of the universe here. http://www.venganza.org/index.htm It's even written by a physicist and stuff

This is hard to get outraged about. It's a poor country. Why shouldn't they try to make some $$ off bohemian yuppies indulging a silly past time on their vacations. But they should probably stick to the hikers too, for fairness sake. I got an email solictation about this from Alpinist. The whole idea of this magazine, which basically a vanity piece for a software millionaire, pushing a "grass roots" campaign against these fees seemed pretty funny to me.

I've got a guidebook to a number of the limestone sport areas that I picked up in Prague in '95. It's in Croatian and obviously not current, but its got maps and topos and the grades (french). send me a pm.

This just in from the NYT... Some Extra Heft May Be Helpful, New Study Says By GINA KOLATA Published: April 20, 2005 People who are overweight but not obese have a lower risk of death than those of normal weight, federal researchers are reporting today. The researchers - statisticians and epidemiologists from the National Cancer Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - also found that increased risk of death from obesity was seen for the most part in the extremely obese, a group constituting only 8 percent of Americans. And being very thin, even though the thinness was longstanding and unlikely to stem from disease, caused a slight increase in the risk of death, the researchers said. The new study, considered by many independent scientists to be the most rigorous yet on the effects of weight, controlled for factors like smoking, age, race and alcohol consumption in a sophisticated analysis derived from a well-known method that has been used to predict cancer risk. It also used the federal government's own weight categories, which define fatness and thinness according to a "body mass index" correlating weight to height, regardless of sex. For example, 5-foot-8 people weighing less than 122 pounds are underweight. If they weighed 122 to 164 pounds, their weight would be normal. They would be overweight at 165 to 196, obese at 197 to 229, and extremely obese at 230 or over. Researchers had a full gamut of responses to the unexpected findings, being reported today in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Read the rest of the article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/20/health/20fat.html?8br My 2 cents: The study is silly because (1) It looks at mortality instead of death from disease, etc. Skinnier people are presumably much more active and thus more likely to die in accidents. Perhaps more importantly, (2) the study uses the gov'ts rather silly "body mass index" as it's proxy for measuring fatness. B/c BMI is simply a ratio of weight to height, fit people with higher percentages of muscle, which obviously is heavier than fat, tend to get lumped in with those who are simply carrying an extra 20 pounds of blubber. But I'm sure this study will be of great benefit to millions who use it as a rationale for the super-size at McD's. Discuss...

Yer delusional. Here's the latest gem from those "free minds" on the right Frist Set to Use Religious Stage on Judicial Issue By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK Published: April 15, 2005 ASHINGTON, April 14 - As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as "against people of faith" for blocking President Bush's nominees. Advertisement Fliers for the telecast, organized by the Family Research Council and scheduled to originate at a Kentucky megachurch the evening of April 24, call the day "Justice Sunday" and depict a young man holding a Bible in one hand and a gavel in the other. The flier does not name participants, but under the heading "the filibuster against people of faith," it reads: "The filibuster was once abused to protect racial bias, and it is now being used against people of faith." Organizers say they hope to reach more than a million people by distributing the telecast to churches around the country, over the Internet and over Christian television and radio networks and stations. Dr. Frist's spokesman said the senator's speech in the telecast would reflect his previous remarks on judicial appointments. In the past he has consistently balanced a determination "not to yield" on the president's nominees with appeals to the Democrats for compromise. He has distanced himself from the statements of others like the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who have attacked the courts, saying they are too liberal, "run amok" or are hostile to Christianity. The telecast, however, will put Dr. Frist in a very different context. Asked about Dr. Frist's participation in an event describing the filibuster "as against people of faith," his spokesman, Bob Stevenson, did not answer the question directly. "Senator Frist is doing everything he can to ensure judicial nominees are treated fairly and that every senator has the opportunity to give the president their advice and consent through an up or down vote," Mr. Stevenson said, adding, "He has spoken to groups all across the nation to press that point, and as long as a minority of Democrats continue to block a vote, he will continue to do so." Some of the nation's most influential evangelical Protestants are participating in the teleconference in Louisville, including Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Chuck Colson, the born-again Watergate figure and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; and Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. The event is taking place as Democrats and Republicans alike are escalating their public relations campaigns in anticipation of an imminent confrontation. The Democratic minority has blocked confirmation of 10 of President Bush's judicial nominees by preventing Republicans from gaining the 60 votes needed to close debate, using the filibuster tactic often used by political minorities and most notoriously employed by opponents of civil rights. Dr. Frist has threatened that the Republican majority might change the rules to require only a majority vote on nominees, and Democrats have vowed to bring Senate business to a standstill if he does. On Thursday, one wavering Republican, Senator John McCain of Arizona, told a television interviewer, Chris Matthews, that he would vote against the change. "By the way, when Bill Clinton was president, we, effectively, in the Judiciary Committee blocked a number of his nominees," Mr. McCain said. On Thursday the Judiciary Committee sent the nomination of Thomas B. Griffith for an appellate court post to the Senate floor. Democrats say they do not intend to block Mr. Griffith's nomination. That cleared the way for the committee to approve several previously blocked judicial appointees in the next two weeks. The telecast also signals an escalation of the campaign for the rule change by Christian conservatives who see the current court battle as the climax of a 30-year culture war, a chance to reverse decades of legal decisions about abortion, religion in public life, gay rights and marriage. "As the liberal, anti-Christian dogma of the left has been repudiated in almost every recent election, the courts have become the last great bastion for liberalism," Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and organizer of the telecast, wrote in a message on the group's Web site. "For years activist courts, aided by liberal interest groups like the A.C.L.U., have been quietly working under the veil of the judiciary, like thieves in the night, to rob us of our Christian heritage and our religious freedoms." Democrats accused Dr. Frist of exploiting religious faith for political ends by joining the telecast. "No party has a monopoly on faith, and for Senator Frist to participate in this kind of telecast just throws more oil on the partisan flames," said Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York. But Mr. Perkins stood by the characterization of Democrats as hostile to faith. "What they have done is, they have targeted people for reasons of their faith or moral position," he said, referring to Democratic criticisms of nominees over their views of cases about abortion rights or public religious expressions. "The issue of the judiciary is really something that has been veiled by this 'judicial mystique' so our folks don't really understand it, but they are beginning to connect the dots," Mr. Perkins said in an interview, reciting a string of court decisions about prayer or displays of religion. "They were all brought about by the courts," he said. Democrats, for their part, are already stepping up their efforts to link Dr. Frist and the rule change with conservatives statements about unaccountable judges hostile to faith. On Thursday, Mr. Schumer released an open letter calling on Dr. Frist to denounce such attacks. "The last thing we need is inflammatory rhetoric which on its face encourages violence against judges," he wrote.

Northwest Garment and Gear Address: 4250 Fremont Ave. N Seattle, Washington, 98103 United States Telephone: 800) 646-8680 Look for the tu tus. They did a nice good job repairing a blownout strap on a messenger bag for me recently

A little of both. The sole is stiff enough to kick steps but is not a rigid platform like the nepals. Upper is more flexible too. You could lace em up really tight for something short and steep but sustained frontpointing would not be fun. Crampons on tenny runners is fine for low angle frozen snow but is major PIA for anything sort of steep or when your in soft mushy stuff. Plus your feet get all soaking wet which is all unpleasant like.

OK, maybe this is a dumb question, but how do you put skins on a ski with a big blunt tip and round tails?

another vote for the Garmont Tower GTX. These things are great. The only caveat is you would not want to do much frontpointing with them--they're not stiff enough for that. I had the 1st gen Trangos and didn't like them at all. too stiff to walk in, but not at all waterproof. They also fit really wide which is a bad thing for me and my low vol feet. I heard the new generation models are better, though.

Cayman Brac is supposed to have all the standard Carribean stuff (beaches, scuba diving, etc.) as well as limestone sport climbing. Never been but worth looking into. http://www.tradgirl.com/caymans/

Judicial review--the idea that courts can invalidate legislative actions--is a very good policy that, unfortunately, has been on tenuous legal footing since it was established by Marbury vs. Madison back in the way early days of the republic. It has survived b/c of the strong concensus that a legal check on the legislature is consistent with the "checks and balances" framework laid out in the constitution. The republicans want to throw away what has been a very successful check on governmental infringement on individual rights in order to make of hay of a purely emotional issue. Anyone who believes the current republican party supports traditional conservative values of limited government, fiscal restraint and respect for traditional legal institutions is delusional.

It was highway 61 in MN. I don't know what the road is like but I suspect it's not the equivalent of an open stretch in the desert. For comparison's sake, MotoGP bikes (2 wheeled F1) are doing 215+ and AMA and FIM superbikes are getting close to 200. These are racebikes in a high state of tune, but on the other hand they are tuned more for low to mid-range, so it's not inconceivable to build a 200 mph streetbike. Its the same platform that the racing superbike use. However, road race bikes are regularly aspirated (i.e. not turbo- or supercharged) and don't run NO2. With a turbo kit or NO2 I think it would be pretty easy to get 200 mph from a CBR1000RR. There are street legal turbocharged 1300 cc bikes that have been clocked at 240+ in speed trials. If the bike is straight, it will get more stable at speed, not less. On the other hand, you have zero time to react if someone pulls in front of you, and at 200 mph a bike will do serious damage to a car and its occupants. Personally, I think this kind of riding is stupid. It's dangerous for the rider and others on the road, and it's bad for the sport. Besides, any moron can go fast in a straight line, the fun is hauling ass through turns.

No, I had the 'tude before I moved there. Probably why I got along fine.

I thought glen asked about DC, not Manassas. My oops. I lived in NE capital hill, largely hung out in the U street/columbia environs. The experience living and hanging out in, say, Chevy Chase would likely be rather different. I suspect specialed was simply dissappointed that people in DC were not as impressed by his VW bus and collection phish tapes as the cool dudes out here. I took a 30% pay cut to move out here for an equivalent position and found the cost of living was about the same. that was 6 years ago and was my experience only so YMMV.

Huh? This is so untrue it makes my head spin. where did you hang out, the mall at Tysons Corner? The people I hung out with were from all over the country and the world and had huge diversity of backgrounds and view points. Contrast to here where apparently you get issued your green suburu with a dog and a "free tibet" sticker when you get your 206 phone number.

I lived in DC for about 6 years before I moved out here in '98. There's plenty to do but expect to do a lot of driving. There's crappy toproping at Great Falls and Carter Rock w/in 1/2 hour of DC. Seneca and its sister crags (Nelson, New Creek, etc.) is the closest real climbing at ~ 3 hours. (I think they're building a new freeway that may reduce this number a bit.) New River Gorge and the Gunks ~ 6 hours. Traffic SUCKS and can easily increase these times greatly, esp. going north/south on I-95. Rock climbing is good spring (wet) and fall. Summer is hot and extremely muggy. You can chase shade but it is sub-optimal. Winter cragging can be hit or miss. Maybe 55 degreees and some sun, maybe snow or freezing rain. Ice climbing: Catskills ~6 hours (if it's pretty cold), Daks' 10 hours, NH 13 hours. The skiing sucks and is a long drive and is not worth the bother. If you're into the wilderness experience and wide open spaces you're not going to find it on the east coast. There is a very big mtn bike racing and road racing scene. I don't know about cyclocross but I would guess that's there too. The climbing gyms are really good compared to VW and SG in Seattle. DC is cool b/c it attracts a pretty dynamic group of people. Way more diverse and less provincial. Culturally it's more work-centric than the PNW. Depending on what you do this may or may not be a factor. Housing is crazy expensive, but you'll probably make more too...

That's funny. I'm weak and fat and ice climbing is the only kind of climbing I'm any good at.

Here is the vehicle for you: http://www.internationaldelivers.com/site_layout/severe/cxt.asp

I'm far from an expert on AT stuff, but from one relative noob to another, I'll tell you I went with Fritschi's just b/c they are so much less futzy. Easier in and out, easier to switch b/t modes. I also figured they'd harder to break, but as others have stated I think I was wrong about that. (I think that the type of forces that would break a "normal" binding will just cause a release with the Dynafits. Is the weight savings worth the futz factor? Up to you

Couldn't agree more with this though. One of the scariest things I've ever seen was some guy taking a 60 footer on the Weeping Wall. Yikes

I hear this a lot but don't get it. I've fallen more on gear than on bolts. (I climb a lot more on gear.) Since on a typical well protected gear climb I try to protect the hard moves, this usually means falling a short distance. Ideally, a well bolted sport climb will have the bolts close enough to avoid big whippers, close by for hard moves and in the right place to avoid whipping you onto ledges, projectiles, lips of rooves, etc. But these are not the rule, and would be called "over-bolted" by many. If you can't place good gear safely (or evaluate whether your gear is good) then whipping on to it is not good. But if that's the case the you probably should spend some time learning to place gear better. Easy aid is a good way to learn what's good and what's not.

thanks for the advice. We've got kind of a big group, so I'm trying to rent a house/condo as 1st choice. Unfortuantely it's hard to find anything other than McMansions in gated communities going for mega $$$. AZ charlie's looks like a good backup if I don't find anything.

Ament's stuff sucks but at least I managed to finish "Spirit..." I couldn't get through 3 chapters of Mesner's "Crystal Horizon". Maybe something got lost in the translation.

The new area is Castle Rock. I haven't been there yet but have heard it's good stuff. Apparently mini-guides are available in the visitors center in Almo. Re "general vicinity": Sawtooths are 4+ hours to the north, Tetons 4 hours to the East (IIRC) and the urban cragging of SLC is 3+ hours to the south. Closer by is steepish bolted basalt at Masacre rocks (Pocatello) and STEEP bolted basalt at Dierkes Lake (Twin Falls). These are more like an hour away. The City is fairly high so the weather can be pretty variable. But I've been there a couple of times in mid-summer and was able to climb comfortably by chasing the shade (which is easy to do there).