Ice Climbing

The day has come: crampons sized to new boots, a big pile of gear pulled from the trunks, ice tools strapped to the outside of the pack. I hope the subway people don't mind seeing me walk around with them.

Cabin Fever

I think something is wrong with me. I just set up my tent in the middle of my apartment, escaping the city by confining myself to an even smaller space. The countdown to ice, mountains, and McKinley is on.

Dear Ego, How Big You Are

I admit to having read this email several times. The paperwork is in order, confirmation coming soon, and the ranger notes that my experience will help the other two on their first Denali trip. It seems like a fitting picture.

May the Insanity Never End

This week's new insanity: HR414, requiring camera phones to make a sound when a photo is taken. For my hearing challenged friends I propose a 1,000 candle power flash, and for the Helen Keller would-be's, a phone that vibrates at a 4.2 on the richter scale. Problem solved.

Battlefield Earth vs Space Truckers

Space Truckers stands on its own as a solid B movie, but it forced a comparison to Battlefield Earth, which is in my opinion The Worst Movie Ever. That title matters: it is your zero, your point of calibration for judging everything else. You need to see it to understand.

Congressman Price....

My letter to Congressman Price on HR45: criminals already break laws, so more laws won't stop them from getting guns, and I loathe the thought of Georgia being reduced to the level of New York. The cruelest part is the bill's name.

McKinley Training - Week 12 of 26

Almost half way to McKinley. Seven training sessions this week, all the trip logistics locked down except the daunting food planning. My brother asked me to be his best man, and bachelor party ideas are already coalescing. Also: I now own twice as many chairs as I can use.

Give me a Freakin' Break. Why Chun Li?

They are making a Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li movie, and of all the characters they could pick, they chose Chun Li? Ryu was clearly superior, with a real background and a reason to fight. Of course they chose the cheap character. Also, Gambit is finally in the Wolverine trailer.

The Nanny State

New York City requires tenants to tell the city if children live in the apartment so the landlord can install window guards, and to enter and check if they don't. A responsible parent would just request them. If anything can be regulated, it will be.

The Adolescence of D-Star

D-Star lets me talk from a repeater on the Empire State Building to one in Perth over the Internet, which is amazing in vision but immature in practice. Why should I have to memorize the network topology? The Internet figured this out; D-Star could learn from BGP.