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New and experienced climbers over 50 #37
apogeewrote: When it comes to loose rock, though, the CDN Rockies beats the Sierra hands down any day of the week :-) The Wishbone Arete on Robson is particularly loose! One of my favorite quotes is from BC climber Bruce Kay, who asked on his first visit to the eastern Sierra, “What did you guys do with all your moss and lichen?” |
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^^^ The mountain on the other side of the valley from Robson. |
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I've been out exploring today, checking out rocks and scrambles. It has gotten hot. Pictures from "Big Beautiful Climbs" are showing up on my photo feed.  I guess there's no accounting for taste. How is it no one finds this the most gorgeous and inviting rock in all of Joshua Tree? No one goes near it! I've never seen it climbed. And I believe that any day now a temblor will topple the whole thing down... Trix   Visiting the twin towers in Steve Canyon, they both became an obsession. How can you choose? Grain Surgery, or The Decompensator of Lhasa.  I just feel incredibly lucky. These are beautiful rocks. Bob said I had some trouble with the crack on Grain Surgery. I felt like I had some trouble once the crack petered out.  And then there's Kris Solem. Once I saw that Kris had climbed the Decompensator, I had to at least try. "I'll have what Kris is having."  Where it gets hard is the top 1/3... even on “just a top rope”, move to the right or forgetaboutit.  |
Alex Smith wrote: It’s just happening so fast. I pray for our great state and I pray that somehow our collective noise will make a change. LA is not that far from us. Our neighbors watched the convoy of Marines from 29 Palms heading down the 62. It feels very real. |
Alex Smith wrote: I feel sick. When you're a hammer, everything looks like a nail. I fear that soldiers on the streets will not end better this time than it did at Kent State. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the next deployment in Massachusetts. I wish all the best for CA, if I were a praying man, I'd pray for you. GO |
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I have my signs made for this coming Saturday. A protest is scheduled here in Barcelona at Plaça Sant Jaume from noon to 2pm to go along with all the other protests in the USA for No Kings Day. My wife and I will be there! On a climbing note…just got back from a trip to Midi d’Ossau in the French Pyrenees. Man, there is so much around here to climb! We didn’t make the summit due to snow in the last chimney (and we aren’t slushy steep snow climbers), so we backed off. Gorgeous day anyway.  |
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As usual, the underlying, important issue is becoming completely obscured by the tactics being used, and the rhetoric from both sides, who are clamoring for political advantage. My greatest concern is for anyone who is unwittingly caught in the middle of this conflict. |
apogeewrote: Apogee, what is "THE underlying, important issue" in this situation? Even with a relatively 'short range focus' I see several overlapping 'underlying' issues---immigration ( legal and illegal), appropriate and inappropriate ways to enforce the laws, appropriate and inappropriate ways to protest, use of troops against American citizens. Those are all important issues that are readily apparent in the situation in LA--I don't see any of them being 'obscured'. However, both underlying and encompassing them all is this Administration's very deliberate push to exacerbate divisions in this country and to use the responses to justify it's rapidly accelerating actions to put into place a white, nationalist authoritarian regime here. |
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As you stated, immigration is the important, underlying issue. The tactics being used to achieve the agenda of Party currently in power, and the rhetoric coming from both sides is what will obscure the need to find a reasonable solution to this problem. Conflating all of this doesn't create solutions....only confusion. |
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Alan, you have kind of distilled many issues into one, namely “what do we do about it?” And no one seems to know. I feel a little bit neurotic. As an older hippie who wants to “be peace” I’m not sure exactly what that means anymore. Hang out with the little birds and critters here and wish everyone well? (I already do a lot of that). On one day, I vow not to let Trump live rent free in my brain and my life anymore—I’m going to ignore him. On the next day, I think damn we need to fight like hell. But we don’t want to make people miserable – – even here— with a perfectly lovely climbing thread with complaints about the world situation. And then there is the suggestion we just hold it all until the next election in, what is it? 2028? It’s hard at least for me to know when we (I) have become hysterical and over-reacting and when do we need to make some historical leaps and protest and revolt. Out judicial system is trying its best. Our Congress has completely caved. No one seems to know. I can say when I hear our governor Newsom say “You’re a tough guy, arrest me. Let’s go.“ It feels so good. I have considered driving into LA since it is so close and standing with the protesting crowds. I don’t know how that helps anything and probably just lands me in jail or injured. But if we take a vote, I’m willing to go. Walking into the gym today, I saw a young Latino woman in the parking lot with her young child and wondered if I needed to standby just in case. I haven’t seen ICE in Joshua Tree yet but with this poor and underserved community, they might hit pay dirt. I do know I would physically defend and express my own outrage if that were to happen. So what are we all actually doing about this situation as we see it? |
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Immigration has been an issue for a very long time that neither Party has touched out of fear of political blowback. Personally, I think this country has benefitted in countless ways from immigration over the span of its existence. I do think that it should continue, but in a manner that adheres to reasonable laws and procedures, and that the 'open door' that has existed for too long is a central source of the current problem. While Democrat administrations have strongly influenced this problem, Republicans haven't been especially solution-oriented either, instead relying on heavy handed tactics that rally their political base. In regards to the current tactics, I don't get the sense that Trump really gives a shit about immigration, and I'm not convinced he is necessarily racist himself, but he is a self-serving political narcissist of the highest order, so any tactic is fair game to him, and he is therefore politically driven to gain favor with his base (many of whom are overtly racist). He knows that bringing down the hammer with federal control of National Guard and the USMC will be exactly the kind of red meat that his base salivates for, and will at least be acceptable to most of the rest who voted for him (if they just don't look at it too much). Technically, though, these protestors have been imposing on federal property (the detention center), and there seems to be a plausible argument that the federal government has the right to step in to protect federal property. The problem with these tactics is that they are likely to spool out of control, and escalate into more violence- the Left doesn't have a great record in avoiding this kind of violence (about the same as the Right, really), and when it happens, the focus will shift to the reaction of the Left, and not the issue itself: rational immigration procedures. Edit: "...when I hear our governor Newsom say “You’re a tough guy, arrest me. Let’s go.“ I don't feel good when I hear our governor make these kinds of statements. It nauseates me, actually. Because it is the same kind of crude rhetoric that Trump and his base just love to hear...the 'fight like hell' bullshit. Maybe that's the only kind of rhetoric that is possible in today's world, but it all just disgusts me. Edit x2, due to post limits: Pretty much all of the issues facing society and this Country are complex, and do not have simple black and white origins or solutions. Recognizing this is hardly 'fence sitting', though partisanship is a much easier way to deal with these complexities. |
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I'm pretty middle of the road as politics go but when basic human rights and democracy are being threatened its time to get off the fence. |
M Mwrote: There is no middle left. That has been Trump's strategy since day 1 |
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My favorite protest poster so far. “Elect a rapist and we all get f**kd” |
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Sitting in a Starbucks in Soldotna eavesdropping on the two couples next to me (without trying). Must be in their 70s or 80s. Red Trump hats on both the men. They’re discussing the two Mexican restaurants in town that were recently shut down by Ice. Yes, Ice is up here in AK shutting down restaurants. Must get rid of the dangerous dishwashers, after all. Husbands agree that “they” all have to go - all of “them” - (dangerous othering) while the wives nod in agreement but lament (with laughter) the loss of the best gwack-a-mole (pronounced to rhyme with whack-a-mole) in town. Surreal. I said nothing because I generally shy away from confrontation and I suspect there is no way I’m going to change their minds about anything. But it made me wonder, at what point will I speak up and - at the same time- will speaking up in a small town where I’m easily recognizable (both by beard and by vehicle) put a target on my back? A literal target. Out at the end of Funny River where my cabin is it frequently sounds like a war zone. I hear target practice every night. These sound like automatic weapons and small cannons. There are a lot of people (up here and down there) who have been prepping for and dreaming about this coming civil war for a long time. People get ready. |
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Be pretty funny if ice raided the AAA hunter jumper shows and rounded up all the billionaires grooms.. that would absolutely get their attention.. they also need to raid marlargo and the rest of his stupid golf courses.. |
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DHS Secretary, the one who does not know what Habeas is, formally requested that the DOD start taking protesters into custody. I guess that she doesn’t know what Posse Comitatus is either. I fear that this isn’t going to end well. |
Frank Steinwrote: Well, it surely hasn't begun well..... Unfortunately I agree with Colden's post above. Sadly we are already very heavily outgunned. |
Colden Darkwrote: And they want to shoot someone. |
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Maybe it's time for you all to come to Australia for a long holiday? We DO have our issues but no guns, GREAT health care, lots of jobs, wide open spaces, very liveable cities (Adelaide was voted Australia's most liveable city in 2021 and the world's third most liveable in the same year), great weather, GREAT climbing, great economy, etc etc... We especially love Canadians... |
