Hipwrddude

We hiked the AT from Rt. 40 near Myersville, MD to an area referred to as Pogo, less then a mile from Black Rock. We rappelled Black Rock several years ago (my brother got his ponytail caught in the carabiner on the way down, we howled.. he was most angry.) Hey Windcatcher, wherever you are, (and whoever else cares to join) you have a real or honorary place come late April, when we're hiking up Black Mountain near Lake George, N.Y., possible 3-day gig. Unformed, thanks for the link. I have yet to try Jade or Emil, while Suisse Le Bleau was delectable, Amer (Bronze Medal Winner in '94(?) was righteous. Hey Beeron, no Blair Witch moments, although my brother was talking in his sleep in the early morning while solo in his tent. Kinda funny talking to someone who's talking in their sleep, none of his responses made any sense. Must have been the Green Fairy (absinthe.) You're always the starter in your own life!

Thought I'd update this one with some images for your viewing pleasure (for the outdoors types.) I'm in the yellow hat. You're always the starter in your own life!

Seagal is a bit of a fraud mixed with legitimacy. From what I've read he learned and later taught Aikido to Japanese in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently. He left his Japanese wife behind when he returned to the states then divorced her after meeting Kelly LeBrock (once famous model who he later divorced after 2 kids.) He claims a mysterious background in the CIA and the military (unconfirmed.) He never competed in the martial arts. Was discovered by student/mega Agent Mike Ovitz and auditioned for Warner Bros. After Brandon Lee's death (son of Bruce Lee) he showed up out front of Linda Lee's house speaking to the media as if he knew him and claiming to be a friend of the family (they'd never met him.) He was shaken down by the mob once (the hitman said Seagal was shaking like a leaf.) Vanity Fair? Finally, ever see him run? Tough men don't run like that. You're always the starter in your own life!

Terrell is exceptionally talented and young. He should return with greater success as he is stable, focused and determined. UFC 52 in Vegas. Sounds good. I have a friend who keeps prodding me to do Vegas... we'll see. Go Couture! You're always the starter in your own life!

Thanks for the insight. Here I assumed Absente was, like French for Absinthe and here I was "missing" the point. Thanks. And yes, you, Windcatcher, everyone is invited on the next trip wherever that is (whether it be in person or imagined.) Regarding the alcohol content of 72% Amer, youknowit, we'll be taking that easy... with plenty of wahtta. As a former serviceman who lived through some training in mountain warfare/cold weather survival, I here ya when you mention the cold. That's why I have to whip my bros into shape about what to bring, what not to and what to do--and no mistakes!@#$% Razzemfrazhem. Luego. You're always the starter in your own life!

By this time Saturday night, 9 of us will be camped out on the Appalachian Trail, miles from civilization, soaking our brains in the inebriating elixir of the “Green Fairy.” We’ll have reached the top of the mountain after a 5-mile hike and the view from the overlook will be stunning. The cold chill of Old Man Winter will be offset by Bergelene and goose down underwear, 700 down rated clothing topped with balaclavas and thick gloves. We’ll offload internal frame packs of expedition and 4-season tents, subzero sleeping bags and gear with names like Marmot, Mountain Hardwear, Columbia, Arc’Teryx, The North Face, Mammut and Cloudveil. We’ll take in the view, smell and sounds of Mother Nature, as we fire up our stoves, rehydrate dehydrated food and feast. After collecting firewood, it will be a gathering of tribes around the campfire for a festive eve of reckless abandon. Ground rules of the tribal council are: everyone must be put down, insulted and ripped on until the laughter has subsided. Self-urination or temporary asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen caused by excessive laughter will not result in the cessation of public humiliation. Any member who commits a verbal blunder is subject to a diatribe of unkind words and foul gestures. Excessive intoxication is strictly forbidden yet jokes, lies and purported tales of extraordinary manhood are strongly encouraged. To all thee who read thee, presents greetings. We search for life in all that we do. It is what you make it and the making is good. To all my friends and future friends, Cheers! And Good Night! Oh, by the way, if you’re an Absintheur, let me know what you recommend. If you’re also into backpacking, Cheers to you! Now I must go and check my eyelids for holes. Good night!

Depends on the women. Physically, I'm split between brunette slim feminine types and European large boned curvy types. But looks only go so far. Actually, personality is really the #1 thing (duh.) Aggressiveness is important too. Not competitive aggressiveness, but gangway, step aside, no pardon necessary I'm gettin' some aggressiveness. Intelligence parlayed into success is undeniably hot too. Social moxy is sexy too. Social political expediency is lusty also. I'm referring to someone who handles conflicts in conversations deftly and non-adverserially. We can't forget straight-on animal magnetism too. Once, I met a professional women at a party and we both knew, after 5 mins. of conversation, that If my girlfriend wasn't there, her and I (she kept telling me her Indian PhD. husband was overseas) would have rewritten the Kama Sutra. Hell, is there a universal answer to your question. Probably not. But ultimately, every guy enjoys the company of a woman who can pleasure herself and talk about it. Damn, I revealed too much! You're always the starter in your own life!

The alarm clock was a joke (rimshot.) I've been a fan from day one of the UFC and MMA before that. You lucky bastard, I attended UFC 7 in Buffalo, NY, years ago, but this UFC featured higher caliber fighters. Orlovski is good, but he's got some chinks. Remember what Pedro Rizzo did to him? Althought I like Sylvia (victim of a tormented childhood and a loveless mother) he's not well rounded. Couture would take him. Couture's gonna deliver another beating to the Iceman too. Among heavyweights, watch Buentello. He's the real deal. I've followed Tanner since he appeared on the scene after he gained experience from watching videos of submissions. Remarkable heart. But, Terrell will be the Oscar De La Hoya of MMA, just watch. Unfortunately, Lindland will take Tanner and Terrell will may take Lindland. In my opinion, Bustamante will take them all, but Zuffa is too cheap. Before I go, do you check out Sherdog.com? Sherdog is the #1 MMA site on the web. Later Bro! You're always the starter in your own life!

Probably one of the top three best UFCs. Belfort was a disappointment though, Bustamante would have kicked Tito's arse. Did you notice when Justin Eilers was KTFO and hit the mat, an alarm clock popped up next to him? You're always the starter in your own life!

As a Marine on a Naval vessel during ship-to-ship refueling in the Atlantic, the fuel ship fires a line across on a rubber ball for use in pulling the fuel line over to our ship. The rubber ball bounces off a nearby conex box and pops me right on the grape. Two swabbies run up laughing their asses off asking the classic line, “Are you okay?” Dirtball, a gruff, Indian ink tattooed dropout loser friend of mine, puffs a Salem outside the local 7-Eleven during high school. Suzie comes out and asks Dirtball for matches and he tells her to get them out of his right pocket. She smiles, reaches into his pants pocket then jerks her hand out laughing. Dirtball had a hole in his pocket where he had slipped his one-eyed-snake with a turtleneck. A friend of mine, a former Mr. Universe, finishes taking a crap at a fancy nightclub but has a lot on his mind when he flushes and takes his time getting up. But not soon enough. It overflows into his draws. Freaking out in a stall in a packed men’s room with a nightclub full of hot women, he does what only Rambo would know to do in that predicament—haul ass outta there! You're always the starter in your own life!

Great bachelor party gag, “Hey dude, we got this real hot babe coming, so we’re going to tie you up and blindfold you before she strolls in. Okay boys, bring in the plastic mama!” Or, set up a friend on a blind date (with a rubber bitch) who’s going to meet him at a restaurant. Or, cruise around town with Superbabe 2000 in the convertible and brag about your staying power and how clean she is then lean over, give her a big sloppy kiss and tell’em she’s got no gag reflex. Better yet, position RealDoll reverse cowgirl as you cruise the dropzone in your golf cart barking, yelping, squealing and slobbering. Set the gang up one night by having one of the dudes in the reclining position, moaning in his car as Prosthetic Patty’s head bounces up and down. Bet the boys to see who will be the first to get to third base with Synthetic Sally, then take photos and run. And run like hell, like I did after this post. You're always the starter in your own life!

Obscure insult elbow shot: Split-tail, limp dick, punk-pussy faggot. Sorry if I embarassed the gay crowd with the last word, although that's become a badge of pride lately. Raggedy Bitch Chin testicle Furry bastard Scurvy Dog Shit-fer-brains Shuflepagus (someone who walks along shuffling /dragging their feet) Pinch-a-loaf (as in, someone phucking up good) Big Filthy McNasty (He's not fat, it's just) Relaxed Muscle Nuttin' Funny (after a bad joke) Scud Missile (a really bad joke, as in, "That was a..") You have a strange resemblance to oxygen (as in, what you say, no one hears.) On another note, if you're eating something delicious, you can always say, "I'd offer you some but you might accept." You're always the starter in your own life!

So you’re saying my friends died in vain. I hear what you’re saying and I hope you find a better way. The worst argument against policy in Iraq is to say our service men and women “died in vain.” Furthermore, by saying they died in vain implies that you wanted them to die, or wanted them to die for a policy you didn’t agree with or wanted to fail. Whether that was your intention or not, belittling their sacrifice to their country by calling their passing “in vain” for “Bush,” “et al.,” and the “war profiteers” is a sad argument for critical dissent. Why not attack the policy makers? The military is a tool of politics. Yes, democracy is framed on the premise that criticism of the government improves the quality of decision making. But why attack the solemn duty of our service personnel? Why say that refusing orders for another tour of duty is right? Atomic element 73, Tantalum, what branch of the service did you serve and what units did you command? I don’t agree with the reasons we invaded Iraq either. But we must succeed in democratizing Iraq, pacifying Afghanistan and making good out of bad situations. As Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once observed, "courage is the secret of liberty." As a former serviceman whose father’s father, etc., served in every conflict from WWI to the present, I would say that all service personnel have a deep sense of pride, honor and connection with those who served before us and those who serve now and into the future. I feel we all must show them the utmost respect for preserving our liberty and leisure. Showing their sacrifice to be anything other then honorable is not only unpatriotic, but disrespectful too. You're always the starter in your own life!

You know it! That's where I was, Cartagena! I had to be Cartedawaya! They have some scenes of it in "Romancing the Stone." A Colombian friend of mine says they're even better looking in Medellin. My only concern about going back is being deported. You're always the starter in your own life!

Dance music... like Eve, "Who's That Girl." 'Cause if you can't cut the moves on the dance floor, then you gotta sit and watch. You're always the starter in your own life!

Having been to 26 countries on 5 continents I was particularly struck with the beauty of the women in Colombia. I think that's because that's what I'm attracted to. But then again, maybe that's because I was turned down in 25 countries. I also liked 'em in Brazil, Spain and Portugal. Actually, I liked 'em everywhere. And you know what, it doesn't matter if they skydive and they only have 2 jumps... as long as one of those jumps is on you. You're always the starter in your own life!

Antagonizing me will get you nowhere ... see. You're always the starter in your own life!

Sorry Tom. Rhino beat me to the punch. No thread splitting intended. Thanks. You're always the starter in your own life!

I just thought I'd share a winter backpacking list I created for a group of us who hike the Appalachian Trail and other wilderness areas. Also, for those who may not be aware, Microsoft has launched their own anti-spyware software to detach the leeches of the internet from your pc. I've used anti spyware by others (Lavasoft's AdAware being my previous favority) but when I ran Microsoft's I swear I heard that can of whoop ass go to work! http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx Cheers! You're always the starter in your own life!

The Pentagon is considering the “Salvador Option” in quelling insurgent violence in Iraq. During the civil war in El Salvador in the 80’s, the Reagan Administration supported nationalist death squads that terrorized the rebels and their sympathizers through targeted hits, kidnappings, torture and murder. While the pacification of El Salvador’s countryside was attributed partly to the success of the death squads, many believed they simply committed atrocities and human rights abuses. Insurgent actions carried out in Iraq occur from sanctuaries primarily in Syria and, secondly, in Iran. Under this option, these U.S. Special Forces lead, CIA directed death squads would strike the enemy in their harbor sites and spoil their peaceful nesting sites in and outside of Iraq. It’s simply, “terror against the terrorists.” When you employ such tactics with highly trained “counter insurgents,” you embark on a dirty war that invariably kills innocent people who, by interaction or proximity to the insurgents, go down. Furthermore, could this trigger a powder keg in Syria or Iran when strikes deep in their country threaten their sovereignty? Or does it shut down their political support by putting them center mass in the crosshairs? Primarily lead by former Baathist party members and ex-Hussein officials, the insurgents grow with foreign manpower (non-Iraqi) and terrorist dollars. In the Vietnam conflict we conducted war in the South (our primary target) but suppression bombing (Rolling Thunder, Linebacker) never stopped the faucet in the North (the source) as funding by Russia and China rolled in. Is the Salvador Option our best option or one of many yet unexplored? What do you think we should do? Article:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6802629/site/newsweek/ You're always the starter in your own life!

I had a blast in Chile you lucky bastard! They have great wine, intoxicating women, beautiful mountains and a great history. If you can travel down to Punta Arenas (southern most city in the world) and possibly check out the Straits of Magellan, they're magnificent. We had deep sea fisherman bring us monster crabs from the depths. The people are exceptionally friendly, and being an American, you'll be in demand by the caballeras. You'll also see where those old Fords, Chevies and Chryslers went to. Valparaiso is where you want to be for the night life yet Santiago is not far away. Learn some salsa too. The country is very scenic and the climate compares to the northern east coast. I'm jealous. And when you're out at the bars, after "Uno cerveza porfavor?" don't forget, "Donde esta el bano?" You're always the starter in your own life!

The phrase, "Based on a true story;" reflects just that, that the motion picture (or book) is based on a real or genuine story--and not necessarily a factual one. Of course, you already know this discrepancy. The propeller cap cool part for the linguistic magician is that, the use of the word "true" in this instance, is in its less used variation, 'genuine.' This is known as a "trope." A trope is an out-of-the-ordinary use of a word. When the "scheme" or word order, uses a juxtaposition (two opposing ideas placed close together [Based and true]), it creates a dual interpretation. The most widely deciphered interpretation is the literal one, that the story is factual, and the other, that it its fundamental concept is that of a genuine narrative. But I digress, the real point in your question has nothing to do with rhetoric, it's the fact that suckas be rippin bitches off and sheeit, be lyin and tryin to get paid no matter what and that ain't cool. It ain't cool, diggit. You're always the starter in your own life!

On a 6-way, the second jump at a new dropzone, 5 of us land in the trees. The moment I was under canopy I realized the landing was doomed—no outs, even at 2.5k! Forget about seeing God, I thought I saw Jesus! Performed the fetal tree landing and was overjoyed at my success at evading the Grim Reaper or Injury duty. Lesson Learned: Get the spot, check the spot, turn the plane around if you have to! A hundred jumps later I again land in 60’ high brush (ok, trees!@#$.) I landed right through the trees and stepped on the ground soft as could be. It was a confidence building, pride spanking moment –I got ripped on the ride back to the DZ (occurred in full view of my DZ.) Lesson Learned: When in doubt and above 1’000 feet (or higher, circumstance depending,) make that move for an alternate landing. Be aggressive, be decisive. It’s 120 degrees out and I’m on my first jump at Eloy. Under canopy, the tetrahedron looks so much like a wind sock, I fly downwind, flare high (for the temps,) and prove to those who saw me that, “He must be a friggin’ newby.” I’m not much of a lawbreaker, but at that moment I was trying to break the laws of Physics. I think they thought I had Teret’s the way I cursed myself out. Lesson Learned: Better to find out and be cool, then screw up and look like a fool. Although I’m Scuba qual, and was a Water Safety Survival Instructor, boy was I stupid to jump (okay, multiple jumps!@#$%) near water without a floatation device. If I had an “S” on my chest it would’ve been for STUPID! Lastly, easy jump, I’m bleeding off altitude as I spiral down, wind in my face, what a beautiful place! Here, the wind pushed my spiraling ass right off the DZ, I’m over trees (what else is new,) power lines (hello!) and now my landing area can fit a Porsche. I guess you can call it a “bathroom landing.” Through some miracle of intense concentration (and bladder control), I micro-pulse my canopy to land, shaking like a leaf, 10’ from a house surrounded by more obstacles then Neo in “The Matrix.” After that, I think I woke up in the middle of that night and called myself a liar. You're always the starter in your own life!

Touche'! Ouch! “In 1967-68, during the US involvement in Vietnam, the US issued directives to classify Viet Cong main force and local force personnel, and certain Viet Cong irregulars, as PoWs. This was despite the existence of doubts and ambiguities as to whether these forces met all the criteria in Article 4 of the 1949 Geneva Convention III. However, there was a significant exception in respect of terrorism. Viet Cong irregulars were only to be classified as PoWs if captured while engaging in combat or a belligerent act under arms, 'other than an act of terrorism, sabotage, or spying'. There was provision for establishing Article 5 tribunals to determine, in doubtful cases, whether individual detainees were entitled to PoW status. Those not entitled to such status were to be transferred to the South Vietnamese authorities.48” “, the great majority of prisoners taken in war meet the criteria for PoW status laid down in international treaties, and must be so treated if they continue to be held. However, in an anti-terrorist war, as in other wars, there are likely to be certain individuals who do not meet the criteria. Such individuals, for example, members of a terrorist organisation, may present special problems as prisoners, and may pose a continuing threat even after the end of a war. The standard presumption outlined in treaty law and in US military manuals is that such people should be accorded the treatment, but not the status, of a PoW until a tribunal convened by the captor determines the status to which the individual is entitled. In cases where it is determined that they are not PoWs, there are certain fundamental rules applicable to their treatment, including those outlined in Article 75 of 1977 Geneva Protocol I. Any prisoner, whether or not classified as a PoW, can be tried for offences, including those against international law, that were committed prior to capture.” --Adam Roberts is Montague Burton Professor of International Relations at Oxford University and Fellow of Balliol College. He is co-editor, with Richard Guelff, of Documents on the Laws of War (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2000.) Since summary executions of captured "unlawful combatants" could be met with reprisals and the breakdown of unit discipline, it's important to maintain the Principles in The Law of War to mitigate the destruction. As law too is negotiable, I am not far away from your perspective that Col. Loan committed a "lawful killing." It's in these situations that a judge advocate would need to define what constitutes a "military tribunal" during a state of emergency. You're always the starter in your own life!

I'll break it down for ya Big Mike; I'll make it real simple. Stop, for a moment, and think of what impression you want her to get from reading your card. Just write it, let it go, let it soar and take her heart with it. Be free with it. You're always the starter in your own life!