To the Bowl-cut dude and crew on the 1st flatiron the afternoon of Memorial Day:

Richard Radcliffe wrote: Let's keep your personal life out of the discussion.

I took my car to the mechanic
He said I blew a seal
I said "Leave my personal life outta this and fix the damn thing"...

I don't see any connection to Vietnam, Larry.

Richard Radcliffe wrote: Let's keep your personal life out of the discussion.

My kids are perfect, unlike everyone else.

Zeke wrote: Again with you and your slab climbing. Look, stop hand-foot matching on the teensy nubbins, stand up straight on your feet, and start climbing the real climbs and making your arguments like a real man, a man who wears real footwear.

Well, now I'm confused. I have normal climbing shoes now, but am thinking about getting the five fingers to slab climb with, so are the regular climbing shoes real footwear, or are the five fingers?

Also, what's a good route to start slab climbing on? I've never done it, but it looks really scary and runout.

sfotex wrote: Well, now I'm confused. I have normal climbing shoes now, but am thinking about getting the five fingers to slab climb with, so are the regular climbing shoes real footwear, or are the five fingers? Also, what's a good route to start slab climbing on? I've never done it, but it looks really scary and runout.

I hope this two-part answer addresses your myriad concerns:

1) Yes

2) The slab climb having the most fun

For real though, I don't see why you'd use the finger shoes unless you mostly campus. Anyway, that's how the strong as shit kid I saw using them at the gym climbed.

If your looking to improve your slab climbing get a bowl-cut and the five finger shoes. 60% of the time you will send every time.

A venturesome minority will always be able to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches―that is the right and privilege of any free American. -Edward Abbey

If you really think they are in jeopardy, point it out but then move on. No more than a suggestion is necessary or justified.

Andrew Shoemaker wrote: What do bears have to do with climbing?

Everything obviously. They climb like champs. Appropriate use of the word 'bears' as well if that's what you are alluding to.

Natural selection is crap and needs to be reevaluated. As stated above, how many of us could continue existence without the current technology, medicine et al. How many people can still move fast over land? Not many I bet. I could get way into this debate...

Rick Blair wrote: Richard and Drew, how about sexual selection? Seems we may actually have reversed that one. Natural Selection never sleeps but does it not get slowed waaaaaay down?

NS is not the same for Homo sapiens sapiens as it was for Homo erectus, habilus, antecessor. We always base fitness, selection, and what have you on being able to pass along genes. Pretty much anyone these days can have kids. Passing on genes meant much more back in the day because it took much more effort and skill combinations to do so.

Not that I believe this but it is interesting:
Sexual selection = manufactured by large advertising conglomerates

I'd be interested to see a scientific study regarding this stuff. I'd read it voraciously.

carrying some dumbass out on a litter truly blows and i dont wish it on anybody, you should have told them to stop being f'n idiots and get the hell out

rangerdrew wrote: Pretty much anyone these days can have kids. Passing on genes meant much more back in the day because it took much more effort and skill combinations to do so.

Pretty much anyone can, but do they? What if there is some inherent difference between people who choose to have few or no kids vs. those who choose to have many kids? Think evolution wouldn't be working on that?

TheBirdman wrote:A venturesome minority will always be able to set off on their own, and no obstacles should be placed in their path; let them take risks, for Godsake, let them get lost, sunburnt, stranded, drowned, eaten by bears, buried alive under avalanches―that is the right and privilege of any free American. -Edward Abbey

+1

Richard Radcliffe wrote: Pretty much anyone can, but do they? What if there is some inherent difference between people who choose to have few or no kids vs. those who choose to have many kids? Think evolution wouldn't be working on that?

Evolution isn't working or not working, that's like saying, do you think the laws of physics apply to that? Or do reason and logic apply? Will 1 + 1 still equal 2? Evolution in short is just the basic fact that whatever exists is good at existing, and the things that don't exist aren't good at it. It's almost tautological.

DannyUncanny wrote: Evolution isn't working or not working, that's like saying, do you think the laws of physics apply to that? Or do reason and logic apply? Will 1 + 1 still equal 2? Evolution in short is just the basic fact that whatever exists is good at existing, and the things that don't exist aren't good at it. It's almost tautological.

I think that's what I said.

I'm with you fellers.

This topic has up and R-U-N-N-O-F-T.

sfotex wrote: I think it's the same guy, he just travels around. I've seen him in Salt Lake recently.

He has been in Germany too! Saw him on a Via Ferreta when it was snowing in sandals

You shouldn't slab climb with a buzz cut with no helmet because you'll burn your scalp when its sunny.

One of the most enjoyable climbing experiences I ever had was a "commando" raid up an 800 foot 5.6 friction dome in Capitol Reef Nat. Mon., sans any clothes whatsoever.

The infamous Bob Dickerson and I decided to see what it was like for the human mammal to climb completely without any aid whatsoever. We enjoyed it thoroughly, although I think quite a few of the other members of our geology field trip didn't understand our motives or joy.

I'm not condoning this behavior, just supporting my right to do it.

Saw this guy climbing the stepped cuts in the cliff next to the parking lot at Red Rocks. He would lower a tow rope for his kid to climb up hand over hand. Eventually another father went up to him and suggested that this might not end well and that it was in fact against the park rules. So off the the side they traversed.