INSIDE // OUTSIDE ∞

Horribly Negligent

2010-08-13T16:14:00.000-07:00

It is unconscionable, I know, but in my defense, blogging isn't my highest priority in life. And I'm lazy. Rousseau was right, why did god make us so damn lazy? You want to get rid of sin, give us a constitution that allows for more productivity.

Productivity is on my mind these days as I sit in SoCal frantically writing my prospectus. It's got to get done, may as well be now.

In the meantime, as I procrastinate with this post, here are some photos from last week's trip to Tuolumne. Long moderates were the norm, although an inspiring day on Peace makes me want to return. But, oh yea, the prospectus.

Charlotte lead all of Cathedral Peak. I got guided.

Party ledge on top.

Jumping off the lip at the Third Pillar of Dana.

Tenaya Lake, of course.

Charlotte on nubbins at Medlicott.

josh photo shoot

2010-06-04T18:43:00.000-07:00

I spent monday at Josh shooting some photos with Greg Epperson. We spent 13 hours on this. In the heat. Being pretty is much more difficult than climbing hard. First we have Factor One, a 13a next to Father Figure near Barker Dam.

Then a little Rastafarian.

Now New Deal, possibly the first 14a established by an american.

Finally My Idea of Fun, a cool looking dike out Echo Rock.

perhaps i'm maybe blogging again

2010-06-04T18:36:00.000-07:00

Alright, since it's summer time I think I'll start this thing up again. New design. Stripped down. Bright colors. There may be some kinks in it, so if you find some, let me know.

Fort Collins

2009-11-28T17:36:00.000-08:00

In Fort Collins for the weekend, spending time with my little sister, Cassie (or Cassandra as I am not told) and her husband-to-be Corey. For those of you who know the family, here are some updates, in photos.

Corey. Soon to be a member of the family. Has a truck that sometimes runs and a bike that sometimes runs.

Cassie. Difficult to photograph due to not liking it. Soon to be adding another member to the family, little Thomas Aquinas. At least that's who I assume she's naming him after.

Linda. Amazing vocabulary. I've never seen anything like it.

Joel. It looks like a smile, but it's not. Actually a breathing technique picked up from Alberto Contador.

Jumping in Rocky Mountain National Park. We also saw some elk. They are large.

Dementor

2009-11-26T22:57:00.000-08:00

I refer you to my other half for comments.

Update

2009-11-26T22:55:00.000-08:00

I've been MIA at blog city recently, or rather, at this particular one. I've been visiting relatives over at the Black Mountain Blog, getting as much done on the guide as possible before the season ends.

Oh yea, and philosophy. Lots of philosophy. I just finished a draft of a major paper, and even got a shout out on the illustrious Splintered Mind.

Perhaps I will stay here for a while, now that I'm sick of bouldering and the major philosophical thoughts are out of my head...but we'll see.

Miss Photogenic

2009-10-08T22:38:00.000-07:00

This is Amna. She's amazing. Here she is at Mickey's Beach, photo compliments of Jim Thornburg. He's a good photographer.

Friday Chancellor Blogging

2009-10-02T07:55:00.000-07:00

Every Friday, the head of my university, Chancellor White, sends out an email on the state of the campus, sort of like FDR's fireside chats I suppose, but, well... you'll see. At first I discounted the emails, but they appear to be consistently funny, so perhaps it will be a routine. Last week he gave us this gem:

"On the other hand, families to whom this is the second or third child often do a drive-by drop off! These parents are at greatest risk of getting a speeding ticket going home, as they can’t wait to get back and re-purpose their child’s room for something else!"

Of course there's no word on the budget, or the UC-wide walkout by instructors, TAs, and professors in protest of budget cuts and furloughs. No, instead we get this. I don't even understand it. Is he really making a generalization about parents with multiple college grads? They get speeding tickets and throw away they're kid's trophies - I hate multi-collegiate parents, they're all a bunch of jerks. And give me an article before "greatest risk," please.

This week we get a stream of consciousness vignette:

"On my way to the Town Hall, I interrupted a student walking and asked how her school year was starting. “Oh, just fine,” said this sophomore in Political Science. I queried back a little, and she offered that she was flummoxed by a required book being sold-out for a large lecture class… a serious student I concluded privately. And then she confessed she was very concerned about the rising costs and her financial aid… she couldn’t see a path forward yet… a pallor of worry came visibly over her as we concluded our chance meeting. As we parted, I wished her well with her journey as she put her earphones back in… the seriousness of that plaintive moment hit me hard and sticks."

It's too bad that he was beaten hard with sticks, but that's what happens when you let the MS Word thesaurus get out of control..."I queried back a little"... "she offered that she was flummoxed"... "a pallor of worry came visibly over her." Attack of the thesaurasaurus, seriously... and why all the dots?

The purpose of the story? Please, tell us. "This sophomore’s story is an example of why our UCR-2020 plan will be so instrumental for sustaining excellence as we refine and pursue our aspirational vision." I couldn't have said it better myself... I've always needed help to sustain my excellence as I refine and pursue my aspirational vision... and it's like this EVERY WEEK!

Thusday Story Blogging

2009-10-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

This summer I read the entire collected fiction of Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentinian author from the early/mid 20th century who dealt philosophical themes.

Today we have the short story "The Disk." Read it. It's fun and doesn't take long. A woodcutter meets a beggar who claims to possess the Disk of Odin, an object with "but one side." The woodcutter kills the beggar, but in the process the Disk falls to the ground, up-side-down (or perhaps "only-side-down"). The woodcutter is never able to find it.

What would it mean to be a three dimensional object with only one side? In the afterward, Borges calls the Disk the Euclidean circle "which has but one face," but what does this mean? The Euclidean circle is just a two dimensional circle, like the kind you can draw on a piece of paper. In the two dimensional world (since this is where the circle lives), it has no faces since the face we see is on the plane of the z axis.

But consider this. Draw a circle on a piece of paper, a light circle with a pencil, and then turn the piece of paper over. Magic, the circle is gone. This is a cheap trick, since you can still see the paper that the circle is drawn on, but this is a start. Now imagine that the circle isn't drawn on a piece of paper, but just is (or that it's drawn on an invisible paper). If you were to turn it over in this case, the circle would appear to vanish, since you would have lost the background on which it is drawn that makes the everyday circle-on-a-paper case so trivial.

That's what I can get out of this - my take on 3D objects with but one side. Thoughts?

World Cup

2009-09-30T09:22:00.000-07:00

Via climbingnarc, a side by side by side look at 1-2-3 in the Puurs world cup. Check out the different climbing styles. Adam Ondra doesn't just beat them, he p00wnes them.

Phil Twitter

2009-09-29T22:22:00.001-07:00

Famous philosophers in one sentence. Example:

Plato: Symposium 2nite 7pm, @ The Cave. Open mike, open bar. Under 21 admitted free.

Ruminations on Kneebars

2009-09-29T12:14:00.001-07:00

I'm working on getting my life back together, so this must be short. Here's a shitty video of me crawling up Rasta Roof (8A) in Rocklands. Check out that kneebar over the head. I'd recommend skipping the end, since it goes on and on and on...

Re-Patriated

2009-09-24T15:30:00.001-07:00

I'm back in SoCal now, jet lagged in a nasty way and not used to the heat. I'm ready to be back, but couldn't the weather have been a little more inviting. Cheers to Chris for trudging out to LAX for the pick up. I've been reading short stories, so I expect some of them to pop up here soon...

Goodbye Rocklands, Hello Photos

2009-09-20T04:51:00.000-07:00

So I'm out of Rocklands for good. Finally. I hit a brick wall on every trip, that threshold after which I stop caring about climbing. I've been there for a few weeks now. I write from Cape Town, my home for the next two days until I get on the 'ol flight home.

Some photos then. Left you can see John on Black Mango Chutney (7c+). Such an awesome crimp, and yet again more proof that you shouldn't try problems that you've already done. Best case scenario, you do it, who cares. Worst case scenario, you don't do it, you feel like a failure. There just isn't any winning here. For the last week and a half, my fingers have been minced, so re-success was out of the question with that sharp, sharp crimp.

I've been staying at the Alpha Farms homestead, all by myself now that the Germies have left. It has something like 8 beds in 4 rooms. I slept on the couch in the kitchen. The space was too large to conceive, so I pretended smaller in my mind. This is the view from the porch. I felt like a colonial robber baron.

That's Jonas working the cube. I've always thought the rubik's cube was too complex for my little mind, and I've always given up after ten minutes of failure. Rest days with lots of coffee changed that, and now my best time to completion is just under 3 minutes. It's kind of like climbing training, at least with old cubes like this. You get pumped when going for speed! My goal was one minute by the end of the trip, but I need more tricks before that happens. A one minute cube has always been a goal of mine - a life goal of sorts, like seeing the pyramids or eating human flesh.

Golden Virginia (8A), my last rock boulder problem thing in South Africa. It certainly isn't one of the best, but there aren't any crimps, just what I needed. It also cleans up real nice with a little chalk. I keep forgetting how much temperature makes a difference, even when I'm reminded weekly. After 45 minutes on this problem, I gave up with no luck. I climbed a little more, it cooled down, and I learned that impossible is relative. I won't forget again though, thanks to a handy new mnemonic device of mine:

Shirt off, rocks you scoff
Shirt on, climb like Donkey Kong

Scott on the recently broken Crazy Legs (7A+?). So sad. You don't even need crazy legs anymore, regular ones will do the trick.

Once again, model Jonas on an 8A around the back of the Sunset Arete boulder. He wants it, look at his face! But not badly enough to go back for the send. I don't blame him, a second rate problem if I've ever seen one. But who am I to criticize after Golden Virginia?

Just Desert

2009-09-15T10:18:00.000-07:00

I lost the entire tip of my finger while trying to kneebar though the dino on Hole in One (7C+). It sucks, but I think I deserve it for being lame. Is there any sympathy out there? To see how lame it is, check out Nalle's air as he makes the jump.

Rocklands Video

2009-09-15T09:57:00.000-07:00

This is Amna. She is amazing. She made this video about our trip to Rocklands. It is good. Take a look.

Leopard Cave

2009-09-13T10:10:00.000-07:00

Nursing my broken skin, yesterday was spent with the studies. I get bored, so today I went for a short evening session. I couldn't do two 7b warm-ups, but then I sent Leopard Cave (8A+), so go figure. This photo shows the top-out, a crazy feet first toe/heel hook that you hold for a few moves. Well, I should say, most people do it this way. After falling there a few times, I got fed up and found a kneebar. I'd be surprised if anyone has gotten a kneebar on this climb again. When you lack the strength you need a new way to get up the boulders.

I suppose that I used to be somewhat apologetic about my kneebarring, but not anymore. I saw part of one of the Dosage videos today, and it showed Dave Graham using kneepads. If he can do it, so can I. After all, I'm already using sticky rubber on my feet, I back step occasionally, use foam pads, chalk, and I train in a gym. Why draw a line in the sand at kneepads?

That's all I have to say.

[UPDATE: The photo is Jonas Junker on Leopard cave. So I was wrong.]

Economicz

2009-09-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

Here's an excellent piece on economics by Paul Krugman at the NY Times. I taught Business Ethics for 4 quarters, and let me tell you, those undergrads ate up everything Milton Friedman said, even as I trashed him to the best of my ability. Now I think I was a little too harsh on Milton.

I've always known that Adam Smith was as poorly understood as he was quoted. Remember this from high school economics:

"By preferring the support of domestic to that of foreign industry, he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention. Nor is it always the worse for the society that it was no part of it. By pursuing his own interest he frequently promotes that of the society more effectually than when he really intends to promote it." (Book 4, Chapter 2)

That's from the Wealth of Nations, the famous "Invisible Hand." But Adam Smith isn't saying that it's better if everyone pursues self-interests. The point is that the good of society can be advanced by self-interested actors, not that it should be. Adam Smith was a moral philosopher, and before the Wealth of Nations came The Theory of Moral Sentiments.

He's pretty clear about this, even within the Wealth of Nations. Just before the Invisible Hand comes out, he says

"[a]ll for ourselves, and nothing for other people, seems, in every age of the world, to have been the vile maxim of the masters of mankind." (Book 3, Chapter 4)

The point, where was the point? Yes, I didn't realize until now that I was being too harsh on Milton Friedman while teaching. As Krugman argues, he isn't the hardcore neo-classical economist of today, although his writings certainly spawned the current crop. He is more moderate than I gave him credit for, just as Adam Smith is more moderate than most people realize. Luckily I don't think anyone was listening, so no harm done.

Oh yes, and economics is as scientific as killing rats.

Antihydral

2009-09-12T10:07:00.000-07:00

I have ten fingers, which is about normal I suppose, but after sending the sit to Baracuda, only five of these are still in operation. This one climb gave me five split tips. Five. The final go alone broke open three of them. This is noteworthy because, I mean, come on, five? I must have to climb one handed for the rest of the trip.

This has me thinking about skin. A few days ago I used antihydral for the first time. It's pretty awesome stuff, and felt a little like cheating the first few days. It's been hot here, and after a week hiatus chasing lions, my skin was thin. When I returned, these rocks were impossible to climb. It looks like the thin skin and the heat led to lots of lube underneath those meat hooks of mine, and the antihydral did a good job of stopping the flow.

Now a well known problem with antihydral is that it does its job a little too well. When the skin stops sweating it dries out, when it dries out it loses its elasticity, and when it loses its elasticity it cracks. Hence my five split tips. But in fairness, I couldn't climb anything before I used it, so I think I've come out ahead. It's strange that the fingers become too dry with this stuff, and that moisture has to be added instead of feared. Lubriderm for Mr. Bad Skin?

I see Neosporin, super glue, and tape in my near future. Get your own antihydral here. Apparently it's popular with the foozers.

In other news, a police checkpoint gave me a ticket for driving a car with the registration a year out of date. Whatever, I'm out of here in a week and a half, but still. A rental car that isn't registered? Well done Best Beetle.

Oh the 90s...

2009-09-11T03:26:00.000-07:00

And the world wide web pages that haven't been updated since.

When it comes to sexy girls, they invade the Internet: Nude women pop on your screen, when you're looking for a carabiner! But the pretty girl climbing a rock, Google does not find her easily.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Click Click Click

2009-09-10T11:51:00.000-07:00

Damnit, Joe Wilson made me dab on my project.

A Moral

2009-09-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

I'm still here in Africa, but everyone has now left me. I'm the lone American here, except for the other one, but I don't ever see him. Therefore he doesn't exist. I'm living with a bunch of Germans, driving a beater bug, and overall sick of this continent.

On the bright side, the flowers are in their prime. I'm beginning to see why old people might make the trek out here to see them. I mean, if there were nothing else for me to do, I'd be right with them.

On the climbing front, I've got a number of projects. Nothing I'm all the psyched on, but then again, I've been here way too long. Some of the climbs here sure are lookers, like Black Mango Chutney (7c+) below.

Rain and horseback riding are in my near future. As is pizza. I finally have internet in my house, so my clairvoyance is picking up more posts as well. I think I'm missing home, or am I just ready to leave Africa? Either way, more of the same would be easier to bear if Amna were still in the hemisphere. Apparently loneliness is the price to pay for buying the ol' ticket on a whim. Remember that. I need to remember that.

Rocklands Continues

2009-07-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

It's absolutely gorgeous here. Not a whole lot more to report. The climbing is fun but soft. I can do 11s and 12s in half an hour! Look at that sky...

Amna is getting over a wrist injury, but it's slow. Here she is on a cool 7b traverse, gritting those teeth.

This pretty little thing is the Hatchling. I hear you can rock it back and forth with enough people. Check out Wick barely stick the crux below.

I've promised myself that I won't do any FAs, or contribute to the Rocklands climbing scene in any other way as well. After last season at Black Mountain, I'm sick of doing new stuff. I want the problems to be found, the chalk to be on the holds, and the beta to be whispered into my ear. Is that so much to ask?

South Africa

2009-07-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

I’m in South Africa. It’s like the USA, but with more barbed wire and more black people. This place has a crazy history and crazy rocks, so I wonder if there’s some sort of connection there. I’ve been keeping the apartheid jokes on the DL so far, how could I do otherwise? I want to express solidarity with the oppressed, and I fear that the whites wouldn’t know it was a joke. I sat by a racist old hag on the airplane and learned that South Africa is the only country in the world with a government made up of ex-criminals. Jail for all those who demand basic human dignity when their white oppressors wish to...oppress.

The trip so far. I had a few hours waiting in London, so I ran into the city and saw some boring buildings and spent a lot of money. London sucks.

Look, it’s Big Ben!

Then I sat in on a House of Commons session, and I must say, the excerpts on NPR are way more interesting. The Honorable Gentleman from Worchestershire didn’t say a damn witty thing. Then I saw Buckingham Palace, a boring concrete building that wouldn’t be out of place at UC Davis. Check out my photo essay commentary on British colonialism.

I call it “The Jailing of the Guards.” Isn’t that deep?

The climbing is pretty much awesome here. In order, we’ve got Justin on Tomorrow I’ll Be Gone (V10) and Amna on Mary’s Roof (V4). The formula for grades: ROCKLANDS GRADE = REALITY+1, and you still get a bunch of softies. The scorecard loves it, but it would be nice to have a little more connection to fact.

Becky tore her MCL the second day she got here, so she travels around like Dr. Octopus on crutches.

Amna has been donning the war paint.

There is a bunch of rock art around from the San people. It’s over 10,000 years old. Sometimes they draw penises on the men.

Final photo:

Falls and Falls

2009-02-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Dihedron is intense. My first go at the lead was plagued by nerves. For good reason it turns out. I fell and pulled 3 of the 5 pieces I had in! Thank you small-ass BD stopper. I'll try again soon. Some photos from Greg Epperson, and more from Robert Miramontes in the slideshow above.

Rubber McCheatey Gloves

2009-01-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

For a short primer on giving me shit, take a look at these comments. Thanks for sticking up for me Dom, but I wish your proof reading skills matched your analytic ones. But what could you hope to do against old friends being a pain in the ass, as always. Without those douche bags, I'd have such an inflated ego. How horrible that would be, me having an inflated ego, how horrible, how horrid.

So I believe some words are in order. I'll begin, like Lewis Carroll, at the beginning. Randy Leavitt FA'd Dihedron in the 90's using rubber palm gloves and fixed pins. I've always loved the idea of rubber gloves, and after I'd tried the route a few times, I had to have it. My first attempt was a bit of a failure: I bought a pair of hand jammies and turned them around so the rubber was on my palm. Take a look, stylish no?

The real problem is that hand jammies are made to pull out of the crack. When you palm the force goes on the fingers, not the wrist. The elastic around the fingers simply stretches away, or in more practical terms, you fall. That's not good when your pro consists of RPs, so something had to change.

Back to the store, but this time I was looking for something a little more mundane. A pair of leather fingerless weight training gloves. Kevin at Five Ten added green rubber to the palm, you know, green rubber, the stuff on the toe of the Jet 7. I little snip snip to the rest of the fingers, and this is what I ended up with.

How nice these feel! They save the palm while making it stick better. What more could a brother want?

That's it for the background, now time for the defense. These are the reasons to use gloves on this climb, in descending order of importance. I'll number them for ease of commenting:

#1 - Style! Black leather glove on the left hand only. I could even add rhinestones. 'Nuff said.
#2 - Save those palms! J-Tree is so rough on the skin, and this climb can rip holes in the unprotected palm unless you wear protection. And I always do.
#3 - The FA! Gloves were worn on the first ascent, so there is a precedent. Speaking of precedent...
#4 - Kneepads are permissible! People wear kneepads for two reasons, to save the skin and to make kneebars more secure. I'm wearing palm gloves for the same reason.

There you have it. What says the masses? You've seen what they can do, you've seen how stylish they are, they were used on the FA, and they are entirely analogous to using sticky rubber in other places (oh my!). Bring on the controversy.

Dihedron

2009-01-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

I've got some things to say about hand gloves, but before we get into the finer nuances, have a look for yourself at what they can do. That's a 14a top rope you're seeing there. Unfortunately the pro is mostly RPs and micro stoppers. I think a few bouldering pads are in order, even with the Cheatey McGloves.

Think about it, dwell on it, I'll show you my power source tomorrow...

J-Tree is Rad

2009-01-27T21:57:00.000-08:00

Look at that boulder thing I'm all up on. What the name? Who knows, I forget, oh well. One of thousands, why bother naming them all? If I had sextuplets, they would all be referred to numerically. "Stop hitting your brother Mistake #5, it's time for dinner..."

While I think of a way to defend the use of rubber gloves in...uh...climbing, read this. It's funny, trust me.

[UPDATE]: I forgot to give credit to the photographer, Robert Miramontes. Also, there isn't any photoshoping. The rope is there, the hand jammies aren't. But wait...

The Bypass

2009-01-25T20:53:00.001-08:00

I know, I know, I've been a horrible person. Sorry J & S, but if you were cooler people, I'd have come to Bishop. So really it's your fault. Or maybe I'm partly to blame - I've been working my ass off on a phil project, learning stuff. I have so many photos from Turkey that I've been overwhelmed. The next post must be about my trip, I've been thinking, but that involves so much photo editing that nothing has come of it. So I bypass.

Anyway, here is Amna Jaan on Breakfast of Campions (5.8+) at J-Tree, my area of choice the last few weeks (yes, those are hand jammies you see). I've been working Dihedron, a 14a dihedral that Randy Leavitt put up in the 90s. I've got a rubber glove for my left hand, it helps with the palming. And damn, palming is all that left hand does for 50 feet. Photos to come, I swear.

Honestly though, the blogging is back.

The Return

2009-01-07T19:58:00.000-08:00

Awwwww...

I'm back in the US, and more photos to come. Soon...

Once I get my life together again.

Raining in Germy

2008-12-22T06:26:00.000-08:00

It's raining today, spoiling my rest day plans of Mt. Olympos. Looks like I'll have to cook my dinner over a stove instead of the eternal flame. I can't stand the rain, even on rest days. That's why I live in the desert.

There are Germans everywhere here! Mein Deutsche ist verbessern, but I flew to Turkey, so wtf? Check out his glasses, cute huh? This way he can look up without hurting his neck. Germans are weird. And not hip at all.

I spend my days taking portraits of animals, since the rain keeps me off the rocks. Look, a turkey! You're a long ways from home - or maybe turkeys belong in Turkey? I suppose it's fitting, although I swear they came from America. One more export for the US of A, right behind movies, sex, and rock and roll.

See those things on top of the buildings - every single structure has one here. That there is a passive solar system. The water flows through thin pipes in the array and absorbs the heat, no gas or electricity required. Why don't we have those in the US? We are lame.

Geyikbayiri

2008-12-20T23:01:00.000-08:00

I lack a robust understanding of where I am in the world right now. It isn’t that I’m entirely clueless, but I definitely don’t have a firm grasp on it either. Turkey is on the Mediterranean Sea (or is it the Aegean?), somewhere between Europe and Asia, the western world and the middle east, the 70s and today. For you see, mustaches are quite big here. Observe. The fire was warm, he beckoned me closer.

Islamic prayers echo throughout the valley five times a day as the local mosques sing Allah Allah Allah. I’m in a small village near the city of Antalya on the southern coast, camping with a bunch of Germans. Sometimes I think I flew to Munich instead of Istanbul. I went into town the other day and a local mistook me for a Deutsch. Fuck that.

I really don’t feel like I’m out of Europe most of the time. Check out the accomodations, very Rodellar-esque, no?

The climbing is better than decent, with big tufas, my friends. No climbing photos yet, the rock is pretty hard to shoot because of the lighting and flora obstructions. You can see a glimpse of the orange limestone past the goat, but remember to hide your food or these hoofed menaces will ravage the lunch.

The ratings are super fun-soft as well – I’ve been a heartbeat away from onsighting two 13ds. Sorry dudes, I don’t onsight 13d. I think an across the board cut of two letters is likely in order, but it’s been so long since I’ve been on a rope, my calibration is all off.

I leave you with some final shots of…puppies! If these photos don’t melt your heart, I pity your loveless existence.

Istanbul

2008-12-16T08:30:00.000-08:00

There are actual Muslims here! Look at him, washing his feet or something before going into a Mosque. Turkey is cool. The way I see it, the only way to pull off a mustache is to antecedently be incredibly hip, otherwise you're just a loser of a redneck - and the Turks most definitely know how to rock the stash.

After a long flight I ended up in Istanbul. After New York I was sick of the city, so I booked myself a night bus out of town and spent the day exploring. What’s there to say, landmarks are landmarks. So how about a list:

The Blue Mosque:

The Aya Sofya:

I had one of the most intense experiences of my life in a Turkish bath. The room was steamy, the man was big, and the massage was amazing. I told him to press harder near the beginning, and from that point on he made it his goal to break me. Tears came rolling out two or three times, and I think he dislocated my toe, but I’ll never forget that day. When it was all done, I was told to drop the towel, and he reached around me to affix a new one. He put a towel on my naked body. No one does that. Amazing.

I had dinner with a German radiologist I met there (nothing like some semi-naked bonding), then got on an overnight bus to Antalya, a city on the Mediterranean coast. It took a bit, but from there I made it to the climbing in Geyikbayiri. Three nights of traveling and I’m done. Time to pass out, tomorrow is for climbing.

NYC

2008-12-15T07:52:00.000-08:00

On my way out of this country I ended up with an eleven hour layover in New York - the cost of cheap tickets is made up in time. But I know people, so no worries. I met Jake at the Empire State Building in the morning and we toured the city. I feel like there's no reason to go back now. I mean, I've done all the essentials: saw tall buildings, ferried to the Statue of Liberty, went ice skating and rock climbing in central park, ate a bagel, hailed a cab. It really was the perfect date. Thanks Jake.

I'm tired, so if you want to see photos, follow the link for yourself.

The Word Says It All

2008-12-10T22:53:00.000-08:00

Just watch the video. My commentary pretty much sums up my thoughts on bouldering, this quarter, and life in general.

On Spending Frivolous

2008-11-29T17:00:00.000-08:00

Look at that, my little sister is all grown up. She recently moved to Portland, so my family broke its typical routine to spend Thanksgiving up north. That state is damn cold. And it has lots of hipsters riding around on fixies. Other than that though, Portland is alright by me. Oh, the rain too. I hate the constant rain.

We stumbled upon (can you stumble upon a place you plan on going?) a chocolatier, well not exactly, more like a chocolate boutique. The two of us spent an hour sampling various chocolates, from the bitter kick at the end of 100% cacao to the evolving flavors of France's finest. Here's the embarrassing part - I spent $15 on a single bar of chocolate...three times. But to my defense, it's damn good chocolate, and I've got some philosophical uses for it.

Left Portland for a five hour trip to Ashland, spent Thanksgiving there, then ended up back in Portland for a flight home today. More photos to come.

Regeneration!

2008-11-22T21:01:00.000-08:00

This is the hardest problem I've ever done on a boulder, my Yabo Roof, if you will. The journey started way back in March, but I've always cared more about the destination, so no more details on that. Suffice it to say that this climb has done its damnest to thwart my ego - good thing it's quite resilient.

Dave Struthers put up this climb in 2001, back when the Mandala was cutting edge. It was one of the hardest climbs in the country at the time, although his ascent didn't get the press it deserves. The moves are technical and body position is paramount - look how I crawl up this rock in the video. Having learned my lesson on Thursday, I set up the camera before my first try, and luckily one go is all it took. The season ends next week with the storm and my fingers ended when I topped out with holes, so one go was all I had.

This caps a productive season up at Black Mountain. I've completed most of the established hard climbs, and the era of FAs can begin. But no! The snow! My ambitious will have to wait for the Spring. Perhaps this is for the best, sometimes a forced hiatus is fitting.

Grades, Grades, Grades

2008-11-20T22:39:00.000-08:00

I heart this photo, Tour de France (v7) at Black Mountain, 80s style. People have been climbing up there for such a long time - lots of history - it really makes the area magical. With any boulder, you never know if you're doing something new or doing something an old man ticked off years ago, without a pad. I keep waiting for the 80s to call and ask for their FAs back.

Today was far too short - I really can't stand this whole dark-at-five thing. I think we should have a lunar calendar. Would that even fix things? I don't understand. I quickly did a direct start to Buzz Saw at Black, starting on the waist high crimps behind the tree. Who knows how hard it is, probably about v10, like everything else. Does v11 even exist, or do they just jump from 10 to 12?

Then Amna and I headed over to the far side of the mountain. We split up for a bit, which seemed to work well since she sent Center Visor (v6) and I got Ex-Patriot (v10) while apart. We finished the day around Bang-On with back-to-back ascents of Adamantium Sit (v9) and Round Boulders Arete (V4). Btw, Adamantium sit is not the "Mandala of Black Mountain," as someone's 8a says, but actually kind of sucks in a sharp-owh kind of way. I also fondled Bang-On a bit, but no dice with that first move - hard hard.

I hate to say this, but I hate grade inflation even more. SoCal climbers can't rate boulder problems. I'm losing faith. Ex-Patriot is not a soft v12, but rather a mid-range v10. Adamantium is far from v11. When doing an FA, take a grade off of what you think it is, since you know future climbers will find better beta, have cleaner holds, be more motivated. End of story.

[UPDATE]: My original post was too mean and unjustly singled out one individual - I must have been on the rag or something. I abstracted and cleaned it up with a broom, so while not spotless, it looks nicer than before.

The Tulip Odyssey

2008-11-17T13:02:00.000-08:00

For every good day of climbing, there are always a couple of shitty ones. Last week I suffered one of those. I fell on the top of Regeneration (v12) at Black, one of the hardest rock climbs in the history of ever. Later that day I did Tulip, only to later be told that I started one move into the problem. Similarly, Dave fell on the topout of the Tour de France Sit (v10) twice.

It was a day of misery depression, we both felt like hollow shells of men, and I only now got the confidence to discuss the issues. I got Tulip my next day on it, Dave sent Tour his next day, and all is well in Alan's world.

[OBSCURE UPDATE]: The trailer for Rampage shows Sharma on the Tulip for about 2 seconds at the 25 mark.

The Tulip

2008-11-16T00:13:00.000-08:00

I have always accused arguments from intelligent design of succumbing to confirmation bias, so as proof there is no god, I give you the Tulip (v10), a great climb marred only by the fact that it is two feet off the ground. If there were a god, he would have made this boulder problem more aesthetic.

Sharma got the FA in the old Rampage video, calling it v10. Since then a hold has broken in the middle (listen for the BAH!), changing the beta and making it harder. Because it's such a damn low traverse and get's sun all day, it rarely sees the repeat. I think this is the second post-break ascent, the first was done by Tye Landman who called it v11 on his 8a with the comment "hard." Alright kids, let's be fair though - he also called Ubiquitous v11, which is not only wrong, but dreadfully so.

I've considered it a v11 for a while, but today it felt easy, so I feel a little guilty with the upgrade. I'll punt on this one - v10 for now, and perhaps there will be a revision in the future.

Tour de France Sit

2008-11-03T13:47:00.001-08:00

While you turds were recovering from Halloween parties, sitting at home watching teevee in your underwear, I was recovering up at the mountains, climbing rocks. Sunday was the first cold and blustery day of the season, and lord knows I like it cold and blustery. Black Mountain was living in the clouds...

After warming up on a bunch of obscure problems I've always wanted to get on, I surprised myself with a quick ascent of Dark Horse (V10). It was the climb in the old Rampage video that some British stole the FA on, beating out Obi and Chris. Two of the most amazing moves you'll ever do.

Then I headed up to the Tour de France boulder, and here's a shitty video of my send from the sit. Garrett and someone else (Alex?) put up the sit this summer and called it v12. For some reason, they started on two horrible holds with their backs in the dirt. It look heinous (does this word still exist?). The climb is much easier if you use the good hold a foot to the right. Is that cheating, using the good holds? I say v10 - no more, no less.

The movements are phenomenal - check out that huge drop knee in the beginning. I know, I know, the quality is horrendous. But I was by myself in the eye of the storm. It was cold and I didn't care. If it makes it any better, here is a super rad bonus video!

Also, quick, check out Joe Kinder's blog before the effect is lost! Reading about the smashed bolts last night, at the bottom I saw the entry "Whaddup," for reelz! I thought it was a comment on his blog from someone making fun of his wigger-isms. But nope, it was Joe Kinder making fun of himself, although indirectly and unconsciously. Funnier that way, in a Palinesque sort of way.

I'll get some Halloween photos up I hope. I am was Sparticus! I'll just leave you with a photo of Nick, a cute little Canadian mountie. There's got to be a gay joke in there somewhere, but where? Help me out here.

A Road Less Traveled

2008-11-02T10:53:00.001-08:00

In a little fit of rebellion toward the practice of updating classic literature into contemporary prose (especially when it was written in verse - what an abomination!), I wrote this years ago. A reinterpretation of Robert Frost, with the fat trimmed and a little teenage angst added to help the reader connect.
The Road Not Taken (A Traveler’s Torment)*
by Robert Frost
A Modern Translation by Alan Moore

I was walking in the woods and there was a road. I looked down it, and it looked nice. Then I walked down it, and it has made a big difference.

*This poem has been slightly abridged. The second road was left out because it was never actually walked down. This poem has also been translated into prose in order to make is more accessible.

Ewwwie! Gross! If you are barbarish and don't get it, read the original, complete with wrong title and misspelling, because I love the internet which can do no wrong.

Saint Augustine

2008-10-31T15:39:00.000-07:00

A case study in philosophy: close reading a passage from Saint Augustine's On Free Choice and the Will, and argument for free will:

“For we can deny that something is in our power only if it is not present even when we will it; but if we will, and yet the will remains absent, then we are not really willing at all. Now if it is impossible for us not to will when we are willing, then the will is present to those who will; and if something is present when we will it, then it is in our power. So our will would not be a will if it were not in our power. And since it is in our power, we are free with respect to it.”

This isn't entirely transparent, to a large extent because of a large number of conditional sentences (if...then) and negations, but also due to the use of "will" as both a noun and a verb. Let's try to fix this and go at it again. For clarity, let's replace "to will" with "an act of will," and take "the will" to be either [1] the ability to have acts of will or [2] that in virtue of which we are able to have acts of will. Think of it either way, it doesn't make a difference for this passage. Again:

“For we can deny that something is in our power only if it is not present even when we have an act of will to the effect that it be present; but if we have an act of will, and yet the will remains absent, then we are not really having an act of will at all. Now if it is impossible for us not to have a will when we have an act of will, then the will is present to those who have an act of will; and if something is present when we have an act of will to the effect that it be present, then it is in our power. So our will would not be a will if it were not in our power. And since it is in our power, we are free with respect to it.”

That's better, getting there. But now that we are clear on the distinction between acts of will and the will itself, let's look to the conclusion, that since the will is in our power, we are free with respect to it. We got here with the general claim in the beginning of the passage that "we can deny that something in in our power only if it is not present even when we have an act of will to the effect that it be present." This statement concerns "something," and the rest of the passage is showing that the will is one of the things that can fit in here.

So what of this power we have over the will? Augustine has in mind the power to make present, that is, the power to bring it about that the will is present through an act of will. Now the question is whether or not this type of power is enough to make us free with regard to the will. Yet the mere fact that I can make my will appear just by willing doesn't imply anything regarding whether or not I am free in terms of the content of my will. That requires a stronger power, something else that Augustine hasn't established - the power to not only make present my will by willing, but to also determine my will by willing. Unfortunately, this has other problems, like the potential for an infinite regress (are we then free with respect to our acts of will)?

I don't get it, why do people think philosophy is boring. I wanted to vomit for three hours yesterday as I painstakingly worked my way through this passage. History of Philosophy is not my favorite. It get's better though when you get those nugget little quotes, all from Augustine:

1. "Lord, give me chastity and continence, but not yet." I mean, who would want it now?

2. "Consent given in dreams to illicit sex is not sin." Rad, now I don't have to feel bad about this.

3. Something about musical farting being analogous to the control of bodily movements exhibited by Adam and Eve before the Fall. I couldn't tell you the details here, I got to grossed out and read over it quickly.

Oh No!

2008-10-30T21:59:00.000-07:00

My roommate was fired from his job as a teacher today for being gay. Of course that wasn't explicit, but it is pretty clear from the complaint that this is the deal.

Charges include showing an indecent movie (actually rated PG-13); having indecent photos on his computer, one of which is a photo of his arm around his husband; talking about making out with a chic [sic] on a cruise, which is unlikely, since he's...umm...gay; giving a group of students a bad grade; other bullshit like this. Seven pages. Seven pages! When it isn't obvious lies, like the charge that he took underage students drinking on a school sponsored trip to london (not school sponsored, ex-students, not underage across the pond), the charges are all hearsay. The draft is so full of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors - fucking frustrating.

I want to get even somehow, so I went looking for means of revenge, and I found crabs! Of course! Revenge crabs, to put in the superintendent's bed to make him itchy itch with my indignation. Each scratch would give me satisfaction.

Honestly though, there aren't a whole lot of other options. My roommates pay is suspended, if he get's another job he can't pursue damages for this one, and his union is doing jack shit. Don't even get me started on the union. They have done absolutely nothing for him, a teacher for twelve years who took the school's team to nationals for Mock Trial. They've just been complicit, sucking the superintendent's dick the whole time. The only comment the union representative said during a meeting today was that he would still have to pay his dues now that he's fired if he wants the help of the union.

If McCain wins, that would just top it. You know what did it? A couple of Jehovah's Witnesses came to the house yesterday morning and I asked them a number of hard questions about free will and homosexual marriages. This is god's punishment? Or maybe it was because I've played Madlibs with the bible? Who knows these things.

As tough as all this is, imagine being forced to watch this video 100 times in a row. I suppose life could get worse.

Russell the Pimp

2008-10-29T16:32:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I voted. I grew up in one of the most conservative districts in Cali, hell, the the democrats didn't even run against the incumbent Ted Gaines, some jerk republican baby killer. So I wrote in my own candidate: little Jackie Paper from Puff the Magic Dragon (watch the video and just try not to be moved. You have no heart). I wrote in that he was a minor, entirely fictitious, and doesn't live in the district (but rather the land called Honna Lee), but he would probably do a better job than Ted Gaines. Little Jackie Paper has no chance in the heartless land of my youth, where dreams go to die.

Oh, but the photo! That's Bertrand Russell there, being the ball player that he was. I'm on a committee to come up with awesome stuff for the philosophy department to do. We unanimously named it the Lord Russell Committee, since he was a philosopher who knew how to have a good time, smoking tobacco, drinking liquor, sleeping with everyone's wife, you know, the usual.

Plane Wreck

2008-10-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Check out the remains of this plane up at Black Mountain. There are all these chunks of melted aluminum scattered on the ground around it - looks like something out of Terminator 2. Are they all going to pool together and morph into a killing machine from the future? I'm safe, if it were going to happen, the time was decades ago.

What else though? Got that thang Smackdown (v9) at the Boulder Basin. Apparently people stack pads on this one to reach the first hold, ha! It's a jump start, otherwise it's like, hell, v3. I guess it depends on how many pads you stack though. No no no, you better be jumping your ass up there or you are a big phat phony. Still, one of the best at the mountain.

Got a few other little gems. The sit to Tour de France (v?) just went this summer. It felt a little like v10, but I was using holds without chalk. Ah, the reason I haven't worked it before - lack of a clear line.

Hitler Plans

2008-10-25T02:08:00.000-07:00

This is the funnies thing I've ever done. And probably the funniest thing I'll ever do. The protagonists are Hitler, Justin, and John. The setting: my bunker, summer '08. This shit's going viral. I spent a whole hour on it, so praise my speedy speed.

Is this what life becomes, a little like Vietnam, watching all my friends die/get jobs? I leave you with some knowledge, T.S. Elliot style:

I grow old - I grow old.
I shall wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled.

Velvet Revolver

2008-10-24T01:19:00.000-07:00

More movies, coming at you. All the beta that's fit to show for Velvet Revolver (v9) at the Black. But the mystery foot that get's cut off? You'll have to figure that one out for yourself. I'd love to have a little clip of Joe the Cameraman sending this rig, but alas, another day and another time.

I'm sick of this shitty camera, it's time to upgrade soon. Donations? Anyone? For a good cause? Ah yes, the tragedy of the commons. Miss Amna Shiekh has denied me the use of hers, something about not trusting me with a breakable physical object. I suppose she is quite intelligent then, isn't she? That's probably why her time these days is all spent applying for grad school, a miserable process, just follow the link.

All I've got to say is that I miss my training buddy!

Return to Black Mountain

2008-10-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

First day back to the Blacky after what, a four month hiatus? Time has not been kind to me. I walked around, check up on my old rocky friends, which are doing just fine, and even climbed some blocs! Let me put it on the record here, v8 is hard. It really is.

In this video (with fancy editing!) one can witness Alan Moore on Ubiquitous, a newish v9 in the campground. Looks like I got the name wrong in the movie film. It was originally rated v12 but the FA dude, but it's looking like that was a few grades off. Oopsie. The lesson: always take a grade or two off of new problems you FA since others will always find an easier way up those holds.

Night Bouldering Returns

2008-10-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Night bouldering at the Jupiter boulders today, with Nic (complain-a-thon, damn) and Dom. I tweaked my knee a little on a heel-hook thing, but no bother, I'm good for it. Getting back into shape, getting cool enough to climb hard, things are going well.

Question though. Why does 5.10 makes shoes with a heel that is nothing like the shape of a human foot? And why do they make shoes (V10, Dragon, Jet7) that only get good right before they wear out? You have a shitty shoe for a month, it finally gets broken in, then a week later you have a hole.

On the same note, what is this? Seriously Urban Climber? That's like a photo I would take, except it is hasn't been deleted from my computer because it sucks. There is nothing good about it. Should I explain why? The body position isn't aesthetic, she is on a V0, her cuffs look all disheveled, she needs a conditioner that gives her hair body, and what's that in her pocket? A copy of Teevee Guide? Seriously?

Perhaps a Return?

2008-10-12T23:46:00.000-07:00

Alright, I'm back. Here's my trip this summer: to Nice, Ceuse, Saint Leger, Geneva, Chamonix, Basil, Freiburg, Barcelona, and Rodellar. I'm like, international or something. More to come. I've got to get back into it slowly or I'll totally rupture a disk. I'm an old man now. I'm 25.

The World is Getting Larger

2008-05-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

When I was summering in Europe a few years ago, I was amazed by the obstacles to traveling. They weren't the same as in the US, but they were rather difficult to overcome nonetheless. Over here we've got a problem with distance - everything is so damn far away. I can make it over to Colorado, but it takes a good twenty hours. In Europe the distances aren't so severe, but the cost of traveling is. I spent $250 getting from Arco in northern Italy to Font in central France. It was just over ten hours of driving, which I can easily handle, but I went broke in the process.

As gas prices increase, the world is going to grow. The world has been getting smaller for the last thousand years, but I see this trend changing in the next ten. With the end of the era of cheap energy, traveling will become more difficult for the first time in human history. I feel is this summer looking at plane tickets. Getting to Europe this year costs as much as China last year. It is only going to get worse, so I foresee my wanderlust becoming more and more of a burden.

Academy and Car

2008-05-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

I'm getting lunch with a member of the American Academy today. Awesome, I've never done that before, no one at Davis or Riverside is in the Academy. Jesse says that he didn't even know there was an American Academy, just the French one, and after I told him about it, he still thinks there's only one Academy. What a pretentious bastard.

I found out how they stole my car. I had a small pocket knife between the seats, and Jake noticed that it had been broken since I got my car back. We started thinking about why this could be, then realized what happened. Apparently my pocket knife can start the car, and as we later found out, can also open the doors. So they stole my car with my own knife. Great.

MacGyver Climbs

2008-05-19T18:44:00.000-07:00

Alright, a new theme for the blog: rock climbing in pop culture. Here we go, round one - MacGyver. Here we have him on a big wall then BASE jumping off the top, how hardcore for the 80s! I love his ice ax, just what you want when there's no ice around. Want more? MacGyver in a different episode, but watch out, those harnesses break. I wonder if he'll overcome his fear of climbing by the end...

[UPDATE] Check out comments for more awesome videos.

My Car Returns

2008-05-19T14:35:00.000-07:00

My Car has returned! Found a mile away, no computer, lacking love, but safe and working. They took my faceplate, but not the stereo. My crashpad, but not my climbing shoes. My broker speakers, but not my new ones. I am a little glad thieves ore stupid. If they were smart we would all be screwed. My car has beer so violated! No paint on the font half, no A/C, no stereo, leaks coolant. what has happened?

Now I play catchup with the work, making up for a few days of depression/apathy and a few days without a computed. I made it up to the rocks twice to lift my spirits. One day at the Tran I sent Harry Pothead (V8) and Angus (V9) second go, onsighted Soul Caliber (V9), and redpointed Year of the Cat (V10). Black Mountain booted me off Regeneration a bunch as well. I fell of the top, I could feel the skin peeling off my finger as it happened. There we go, another bloody hole in my tip.

But I finally came to terms with the theft, so I think I'll be ok now. One hell of a week.

[UPDATE] I wrote this post on my new tablet notebook using the handwriting recognition software. Look how far technology has come!

Stolen

2008-05-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

It makes me sad. My car and I were friends. Without transportation or communication, I'm not sure how much longer I'll make it. There isn't a whole lot to Alan, so if my cell phone breaks I think I'll cease to exist. Isn't that how these things work?

Weekend

2008-05-11T22:45:00.000-07:00

Lots of news, no good photos. So Saturday was spent up at Black Mountain, working stuffs and falling, falling, falling. I cleaned off an ultra classic, but after 20 minutes of brushing I decided it needed 20 minutes more. I gave up, so that gem is open for all. And let me tell you, what a gem it is.

Isn't it annoying how there aren't names for so many great problems at Black Mountain? I did this thing behind NRA, in that cluster of boulders with four lines. You know, the one on the far left going out the steep arete. I'm sure it's been climbed before, but who knows who. I'm calling it Champagne Arete (V9) after the bottle Dave and I were drinking to make our tips hurts less. Let's see if it catches on.

Today I went dirt bike riding. I've only been once before, in high school, for 30 seconds. Then I hit a fence and broke off the clutch lever, and my friend's mom wouldn't let me on again. Boo. Finished up the day with a Thresh Hold staff partay at a bowling ally. Like all good bowling ally adventures, it ended with us getting kicked out.

More Guns

2008-05-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

Woh, that's hot. Shira after the slaughter - the broken hearts of men litter the hillside. Looking at some more of these gun pics, I decided that more needed to be posted. A few more details: The suits, tailored. The briefcase, full of guns and $500 in cash.

Also, I'm not sure exactly how to bring this one up, but here is a rather unique video. It involves naughty things while hanging from a rope - I'd recommend not clicking the link if you are at work or under 18.

Devil's Dance

2008-05-06T11:11:00.000-07:00

Check that out, the first V12. Damn it was cold - temps couldn't have been better. Oh the route climber in me loves the long problems. What a beast!

Guns

2008-05-04T23:10:00.000-07:00

Guns are intimidating, so I figured I needed a suit to have the confidence to master one. Dale took a few of us out to a forbidden hill to shoot...rubbish? The dirt? There is nothing in the world quite like a gun in your hand, especially when you look as good as we did. I think some of these photos must be blown up movie-poster size. Can anyone take this seriously?

Black Mountain

2008-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

First day this season at Black Mountain, my beloved Tram is burning up in fires. There was a great group - was that too generous - maybe just a mediocre group. Dave took me on the Boulder Basin highball circuit for the warm up, woh. Poor Buzz Saw (V10) had to withstand the triple send from Ian, Aaron, and myself. I almost felt bad for it, but I've never been much for anthropomorphism. Here is a low quality video, way to shitty to get an embed.

Then Dave and I took off to the summit as Jake and Shira read the The Hobbit. We spent a bit figuring out Cracker Boy (B1) before heading over to some V10 crack.

All day I had to put up with Dave's old school grades. No V's - never. All he would give me were B0-B3, the old SoCal bouldering system. B0's are easy, B1's are harder, B3's have only been climbed once, and B2's are everything else. WTF?

We finished up the day with champaign at the OK Corral. Long drive back, then pizza, now philosophy. I don't like philosophy, it is to dependent on me. Why can't it write and read itself?

Beta

2008-05-02T16:46:00.000-07:00

What is Beta? It's time for some conceptual analysis here. A first try: "advice on the best way to climb a route." Not too shabby, but there is an obvious problem - you can get bad beta, perhaps beta for short people that is horrible advice for a tall (and attractive) dude like me. Alright, how about "advice or instruction on how others climb a problem?" Interesting, but you can get beta without consulting others. Imagine you are alone in the woods climbing a problem you know nothing about. You are getting stumped, but after finding a hidden hold you say to yourself "finally! I've got the beta." No one else comes into the picture here, yet you now have beta whereas before you got on the problem, you didn't.

After much thought (oh how my MA Thesis has suffered!) I think this whole business of giving a straightforward definition in misguided. Beta isn't simply a matter of information. Imagine a boulder problem with a crucial heel hook. You would never have thought to get a heel hook on that particular hold, it is around the corner and somewhat hidden, but there is a large tick mark that wraps around the arete. Based on this tick mark you make the straightforward conclusion that you should heel hook the hold. It seems to me, and I think this isn't wrong, that you haven't gotten beta on the climb simply by seeing the tick and concluding the heel hook.

Now contrast this with a situation in which there is no tick, but the person with you has been on the climb and tells you about the secret heel hook. You have clearly received beta here, but oh no! the information you've gotten is exactly the same as in the last scenario. Because of this, I find it unlikely that beta is simply a matter of information.

Alright, so our attempt at providing a definition for beta has been a failure so far. What else could it be? Perhaps "beta" is a functional notion, defined in terms of an onsight and a flash. Again then: "beta is whatever it is that precludes an onsight." Typically this will be information, but notice that on this definition, it is not solely a matter of informational content. The role that this information plays is what is fundamental, that is, information that would turn an onsight into a flash.

I've got to say, this isn't the most informative explanation. After all, we still don't know all that much about onsighting and flashing - we are still ten years away from a decent analysis of these concepts. And we can still ask, what is this mysterious thing that makes an onsight into a flash? What are its characteristics, its properties, both intrinsic and contingent. Yet after thinking about various definitions, I'm not sure we can avoid a functional analysis like this.

Look at those analytic tools you learn from philosophy! How useful, how powerful! What do others think? Sure, this is an inane waste of time, but this is the career path I've chosen, and surprisingly, this is likely the most relevant thing I've written all week. So don't knock it, play along with me here. Thought?!

Paper Dragon

2008-04-29T00:22:00.001-07:00

One more vid from today, this one on Paper Dragon. Who would have preferred a longer ass shot? Damn camera ~~man~~ rock. Let me know, I can make it happen.

Decent Day

2008-04-28T23:42:00.000-07:00

Woh, today wasn't too bad at the tram. First a reading group on John Perry, then office hours, then tramway. Warmed up, did Paper Dragon (V10), did some spotting, sent Danimal (V10), quickly climbed Boardwalk (V10, since no one does it!), then got Soul of Darkness (V10). Like I said, woh. The only bad part was that I missed the high heels climbing competition at Thresh Hold, boo hoo. But the real thing to cry about this the amount of philosophy that won't read itself tonight. It's going to be up late with me.

My Hands

2008-04-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

My hands just love to split these days. Should I wear a glove full of vaseline like Curley from Of Mice and Men? What does it take to keep this from happening? Ow - it hurts!

Thinking about my plans for tomorrow, I've got a rather pedestrian day ahead of me. I'll do laundry, clean up, cook some awesome banana pancakes, and read philosophy. How funny! Reading philosophy is something that is so commonplace I work it in around laundry and taking out the trash. This isn't right - grad school is an abomination.

Dinosaurs

2008-04-26T21:57:00.000-07:00

On the way back form the Tram today, Jake and I stopped by those awesome dinosaurs in Cabazon. What an amazing piece of americana. If only we could have climbed them, one of my few regrets in life. They are building an entire dinosaur park here, to be open in a month! We spoke with Gary (that's right, THE Gary Kanter), and he offered to give us a private tour of the grounds next time we were in the area. We could be some of the first people to view the latest dinosaurs. What an honor.

Who the hell builds concrete dinosaurs in the middle of the desert. And then who turns these dinosaurs into a creationist museum? There are supposed to be frescoes inside of Dinny, you know, the brontasauras, but what could these look like? Adam and Eve frolicking in the Garden of Eden with a triceratops? Frescoes? How European.

Get this, those frescoes cover the wall of a gift shop inside the brontasauras, and they used to put on puppet shows. That's awesome. All I've got to say is: Primordial soup, to the zoo, to you, is evolution true? Contend with that Mr. Scientist.

What the Hell

2008-04-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

What the hell is that! What the hell is that? It's 'Alan'. How funny to notice the typo, four years after the fact. Thanks Jake, for bringing up these painful memories.

Unicycle

2008-04-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I can't ride a unicycle. Surprise, surprise, surprise.

Super Nova

2008-04-24T01:18:00.000-07:00

Afternoon sessions can't be beat. Work, write, read, wait...then climb! Jupiter Boulders today, got this sexy little number in a couple of goes. You can't see the bottom of the climb, or my torn tips, or the wind, so a little bit of the mood is lost. I need a camera man. And while I'm at it, perhaps a video camera. This little point a shoot leaves a little to be desired.

This may have been the last Jupe day because of the weather. Too hot too soon, since I've still got a project that needs some sending. I got a highpoint on it today, but torn tips and twilight held me at bay. Looks like there are some downsides to the afternoon session.

Hit in Head with Snowball

2008-04-22T00:28:00.000-07:00

My directoral debut. You can tell I have no idea what the hell I'm doing, either on the climb or in front of the mixing board. The clip is fairly self explanatory, but I think Joe summed it up pretty well: "That's the best thing you could have done right there Jake. You could have spotted him, you could have given him beta, but no, you did that. God bless you Jake, god bless."

Yosemite

2008-04-20T22:54:00.000-07:00

After NorCal I spent twelve hours in the R-Side before leaving again to Yosemite. Ah, my fingers were still recovering from splitting four pads at the tram earlier this week. Got in Friday night and stayed with this strapping ranger. Ladies, from what I hear he's free. Let me know if you want his number. Who can resist a man in uniform?

There was a big crew, and we didn't stray too far from the beaten path. John, Shannon, and Casey were all present for Shannon's birthday - she turns 30! Wooo! We partayed at Ranger Rave '08 in federal employee housing. Nothing puts a damper on festivities like having two cop cars parked on your street.

Climbing wise, the trip was a little...eh. I opened up a pad in the first hour, and tape helped make Thriller nearly impossible. Not that things would have been otherwise without it. I flashed the Force (V9), a sexy little climb next door. To be fair, I'd tried it once a few years ago, but come on, that doesn't count, does it? The next day was the next day, so we weren't quite to spunky. Justin and I had an epic contiguous pair of sends on the King Cobra Sit Start (V9), a climb that was much harder than it should have been.

Yosemite is 7 hours away, so I don't think I'll be making that commute again soon. Or course it was worth it, both to see old friends and to celebrate Shannon's 30th. Everyone let her know horah!

Ferrari the Jerk

2008-04-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

I forgot about this. Last weekend up at Tramway this bastard in the Ferrari took up two spaces. How expensive does your car have to be in order for you to feel justified in sitting double? The BMW in the next space over didn't feel like he had the right. The socialist in me didn't like the hierarchy, so I took back one of the spaces. The parking lot security guard loved what we were doing, and gave us moral support in a maternal kind of way. Sure, there were other spots, but I wanted that one. What a jerk. Him or me?

I was up at the tram on Monday as well for a late night session. I got back to the upper tram station at 9:00, and no one told me this, but the trams only run every forty-five minutes once it gets dark. I was bored for the whole time as the workers cleaned up the place, sitting for the last ten minutes in darkness after they turned off the light. The gift shop was closed - the bar was closed. It was it miserable, so don't miss that 9:00 tram next time you do some headlamp night bouldering.

Surprises

2008-04-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of surprises, they seem to typically turn out for the worse. I tried something new once, and it only brought displeasure and heartache. I still can't stand the taste of ginger. I just received some surprises from two friends, one of which I've known for years, the other I've known of for years.

One friend was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Aren't we always too young to be diagnosed with degenerative diseases? Another lost his foot in a work related accident. Luckily he sent his project the week before, but this certainly shouldn't be the cost.

I haven't used names in case someone would prefer that this information weren't well known, but my heart goes out to both of you. We climbers need to look out for each other.

Sacramento

2008-04-16T12:20:00.001-07:00

I'm in NorCal for a few days to attend my little sister's graduation. She is now Cassandra Moore, AS. Does anyone put an Associates of Science degree after their name? Has anyone heard of an Associates of Science degree? Eerie. But well done to Cassie, she's got an internship lined up with the DA in Stockton as a paralegal. She used to be a badass climber you know, on the US team for two years around the year 2000. Doesn't it seem like the year 2000 is still in the future?

Cassie and I spent some time in Sacramento yesterday, touring the capital and the Crocker Art Museum. It had some awesome stuff, check out Bush made out of ceramic skulls and ears. It was one of the better pieces of the modern collection there. The older paintings were boring. They have a huge Edwin Deakin exhibit going on - yawn. I'm just not a fan of realism in my landscape paintings. I find them to be like a photo, but not as good.

Tramway

2008-04-13T22:57:00.000-07:00

A new highball problem at the Tram, an FA by Aaron, our sled goddess from the previous post. It would be only 5.10a in Yosemite, but what does that make it here, in SoCal, for boulderers? I heard someone suggest V4. Not so sure about that.

[Correction]: I assumed Aron had two 'A's in his name, like me, because I thought he was cool. I was wrong, but he does bring up a good point. The slab would be 5.8, not 5.10a. I mis-spoke, since 10a's are I'm-glad-I-have-a-rope hard, and this guy wasn't.

Bouldering, Sledding, Jumping

2008-04-13T02:14:00.000-07:00

I was mocked for wearing a suit to get my driver's license photo. My reasoning, that authority figures see your ID, and no matter how scuzzy you look at the moment, if you've got a suit in your photo you can't be all bad. Today it paid off, and I got out of a ticket for having both Jake and Shira in the passenger seat of my car. When the cop asked me if I knew why I'd been pulled over, I said no, and felt like a kid covered in crumbs being asked where the cookies went. I love transparent lies. Seriously though, that suit is paying for itself.

Then some climbing. Bouldering at the Tram. I got the moves on Devil's Dance (V12) and worked Black Flame (V11). The highlight of the day was a sledding finale. This video is Aaron, the speedy of the bunch. Eventually my clothes came off, but I don't think youtube is ready for that video. I take up a lot of bandwidth, being a stud/stallion and all.

Then a physics partay, where I jumped off the second story of the house into the pool. Sober. It's how I roll.

Sites

2008-04-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

My dad was down for a few days, so here's a photo of him being badass in his old age. Taken with my small camera that is apparently awesome in the J-Tree sunset. That's one hell of a sunset. I decided to begin shooting instructional how-to photos. Here's the way you abseil.

A new quarter dawns, and with it new methods of procrastination. I had to pass these on:

Robot Girlfriend: So strange, this dude's robot girlfriend got him to go to church and stop watching porn. His parents were skeptical at first, but after seeing the positive changes...I think this is the answer to all of life's problems.

Stuff White People Like: I hate being pigeon holed, but check out he entry for grad school. Also, white people like 80s night because that was the last time popular culture wasn't infused with all that black nonsense.

China China China

2008-04-03T14:39:00.000-07:00

I has come to my attention through the dark allies and back streets of the climbing underground that there is a new video of climbing in Yangshuo. Check it here, sweet spot #16. See all those falls on the Moon Hill Arch in the beginning of the short film? Yea, those are all on my beloved Sea of Tranquility. I'm glad those bastards took some whippers before supplanting my baby with a new hardest climb in China.

In more China news, there is an article on my trip in the newest Urban Climber. A feature article, a cover article, with lots of awesome photos of me and everything. Above you may find Shannon inflating her ego by way of narrative, a photo robbed from John, thanks doll face.

I'm Boring

2008-04-01T19:42:00.000-07:00

I've been so boring recently, I'm tired of me. My car suffered a slight mechanical malfunction - the radiator broke. The headlights, hood, and bumper also broke at the same time. What are the odds of that? Want to see a disgusting photo, then take a look. My once mighty steed, down to this.

Funny enough, I make a fair bit of money in the process. The accident served to draw all of the equity out of the car in one gulp, giving it to me in a check instead of slowly depreciating over time. Not a bad deal, but I still want a car that runs. Luckily my rental has XM radio, and the all Michael Jackson station has been on non-stop for two weeks now.

I've also got some images here of The Great Couch Lift. Jake's new futon was too large to go up the stairs, so we hoisted it up the side of the building. Three stories was nothing, even with that damn metal frame. The whole project took just an hour, so check those skillz. Anyone need a furniture lift, just come talk to me. I'll make it happen.

Seriously though, I really do feel boring. I need to get out of this country for a while. Alan wasn't made for staying in the same place this long. It's been over three months since I crossed the border. Help.

Alan the Philosopher

2008-03-18T18:22:00.000-07:00

I'll be in the Pasadena Hilton for the next four days for a sick conference. I think the Hiltons should name their next kid Pasadena, regardless of gender. Who names their daughter after a hotel? No wonder Paris is so messed up.

It's the pacific meeting of the American Philosophical Association. Awesome, that's my idea of a spring break. Shall I get naughty? Probably not, one of my professors asked a woman who worked in housekeeping what the difference was between a conference for english professors and a conference for philosophers. She said that english conferences leave hotel rooms littered with used condoms. In the rooms of philosophers she finds empty bottles of booze. That's one hell of a reputation philosophers have going - we know how to partay! Woo!

I think all this study is making me absent minded. In the last year, I've destroyed my computer, lost a cell phone, had my wallet stolen, last my replacement wallet, totaled my car, broke 4 pairs of sun glasses, burnt out my Bosch drill charger, and lost my tent poles in China. I'm not sure why anyone would let me touch a physical object, I mean, I'm just going to break it. Let that be a lesson to everyone, learn from Jesse and Shira. After all, two of those sunglasses weren't mine.

Lonely

2008-03-15T23:39:00.001-07:00

I feel really lonely now, not in life, or the world, but in the universe. From the 1940s until just recently, mankind has been using stronger and stronger transmitters to send TV, radio, and mind control signals around the globe. A portion of these signals leaked out into space, making the presence of intelligent life visible to anyone watching, out there, on far away planets. We predicted this trend would continue and increase, but as it turns out, much of our communication now flows through wires and fiber optic cables, reducing our electro-magnetic mark on the universe. If the trend continues, we may become virtually invisible.

To make matters worse, this complicates our own search for life and the Drake Equation. The variable L in the original equation, the length of time that an advanced civilization releases signs of life, may be short indeed, perhaps just one hundred years. Oh no! There could be life all over this galaxy that is only detectable for a small window, roughly correlated with the time between the invention of radio and the increase in high capacity fiber optic infrastructure.

That is why I am lonely. Help me out by answering this serious question that I've got. How many Wu-Tang videos contain fake flames, and I'm not only talking about Wu-Tang proper, but solo careers as well. You've got some awesome ones in ODB's (god rest) Shimmy Shimmy Ya, but the prize has got to go to Wu Tang's Triumph video. With all those special effects, it must have cost millions to make. Any others?

Baselining

2008-03-13T20:06:00.000-07:00

I've got to say, this is intense. Not the photo, that's pussy stuff, but Dean Potter slacklining with no leash, just a parachute. Too bad you can't embed NY Times videos, so you're going to have to follow the link here.

[UPDATE - Link is working again.]

Cars

2008-03-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

The quarter is ending, so my time has been spent working on papers. And wrecking my car. I tried telling my insurance adjuster that every event has a cause, and such determinism is incompatible with free will. Although I was the driver, and my car bumped into another, there is no room for me as an agent. Thus, I am not morally culpable for the accident. She didn't go for it, insurance adjusters are an entirely unphilosophical bunch.

But all is not lost. I'll actually come out ahead in the end, but for the moment I am left without an automobile, impotent in the Inland Empire. For the moment, I am left to juggle radioactive fruit, although I'm not nearly as good at this as I am at fender benders. Why can't one pick one's talents?

Ground Control

2008-03-11T18:23:00.000-07:00

Sunday brought another unsuccessful run on the Proxima Project at the Jupiter Boulders. This sexy little number can be seen in green, and despite Ian (looking good above), Alan, and two days, it still goes unconquered. Luckily she's smooth on the moves, so I don't mind another round.

However, I did get the FA of Cassiopeia (V8), our lady in red. She's named after the geometric position of your body for the first move - amazing pinch with the right hand, large right foot equally high. The queen Cassiopeia, after which the constellation was named, was punished by Poseidon for boasting of her unrivaled beauty. While this problem is on one of the best boulders in SoCal, she certainly isn't more beautiful than all the Nereids, the nymph-daughters of the sea god Nereus. Or the boulders of Font for that matter. Oh, to be traveling in the summertime...

News

2008-03-08T01:37:00.000-08:00

Some news from all over. I caught two cheaters in my class. One because she used 15 sources that weren't from the syllabus when everyone else used 3, and the other because he turned in his paper with the name of the original author on it. Dumbshits.

I'm grading papers right now, here is a quote: “If Costco were to be placed in their employees shoes, they would have been satisfied with the health insurance.” I know, I know, a singular noun deserves a singular pronoun, but I ignored that. My comment in the margins was simple. Corporations don’t have feet.

And finally, a super human trick. Shira here, that red headed seductress, has memorized pi to 50 decimal places. Fifty, easy right? Let's see...3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288 41971 69399 37510. Nope. In one day she got e to 30 decimal places, one day! There is one hell of a brain on that woman.

I Dream of Gene-y

2008-03-07T01:10:00.000-08:00

Gene, a journalism student at some local college, came into the gym for a short profile article on an athlete. Because I'm badass, the dude working the counter pointed her my direction. Sure, I'll let you write up something about me. I'm down to have my ego stroked. Oh yea, just like that.

The process was informative. Gene must be clairvoyant or something, since in one photo and one short e-mail, she was able to discern things about me I didn't know myself. Apparently, I'm 25 (thought I was younger!), I've "tackled the hills of Colorado," and I "make frequent trips to Mt. Whitney." Wow, she is like a false-fact psychic! I mean, I knew I lived life "on the edge, literally," (Ha!) but the rest is news to me.

And check out my body position. Sure, it looks like I was climbing a vertical wall with the photo rotated the wrong way, hell, that's what I thought too, but Gene doesn't get things wrong. Gene takes care of her shit.

Jupiter Krankheit

2008-03-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. I've been sick for three days now. I think I am going to die soon, so to all my friends, I wish I had taken my short time on this earth to say I love you.

But I didn't, so you will probably remember me as that asshole who didn't express his true feelings. But an asshole who could climb. I was at the Jupiter Boulders yesterday, nestled in a canyon near Palm Springs just past a shooting range. I enjoy being out in nature like this, with all the beautiful colors. One of these shells just doesn't belong here, one of these shells just isn't the same. Jake, Shira, and Jesse accompanied me there, and we fit all four of us and two crash pads (one is a mondo) in my Nissan Sentra, rocking out to ODB (god rest). I was sick so I climbed like shit, but Ian and I worked on an FA for a while before my body gave out.

Today I ordered a bagel and egg sandwich on a whole-wheat bagel (I know, what a hippy). The ignoramus behind the counter didn't give me the whole-wheat oat bagel, but instead the whole-wheat raisin bagel. Raisins and egg. Did you hear that? Raisins and egg. Disgusting.

Ten Commandment Test

2008-02-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

Here it is, the Ten Commandment Test. This is how I fair, not very well. Yet another reason to be an Atheist, all Christianity can offer me is hell and damnation. Let's hear it Johnny: "Neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up." Damn. Ha!

I am the Lord your God - An auspicious beginning. But at least it's ok, just read this. 0 points.
You shall have no other gods before me - Technically I follow this one, but only vacuously since I don't have any gods. While this may follow the letter of the commandment, it certainly doesn't follow its spirit. 1/2 point.
You shall not make for yourself an idol - No way, unless that coca cola bottle counts. I mean, I am a capitalist, right? 1/2 point.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of your God - God damn, I'm horrible. 0 points.
Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy - I'm in grad school, I never know what day it is. But even if I did, I surely wouldn't keep the sabbath holy. I'm not even sure when the sabbath is. Oh that's why, it depends on who you are. Can my sabbath be never? Then I could keep it holy, but wait, in that case I wouldn't remember it. I lose either way. 0 points.
Honor your Father and Mother - I got this one down. 1 point.
You shall not murder - A winning streak. 1 point.
You shall not commit adultery - Once again, I follow the commandment but only vacuously. Should I be praised for never punching George Bush in the face? Well, I've never had an opportunity, although if I did...perhaps adultery is similar. 1/2 point.
You shall not steal - Like I said, I'm a capitalist, right? An illustrative excerpt from the Enron Tapes: "Stealing? Nah. It’s f***ing capitalism, man. First we manipulate the energy flow, they start rolling black outs, prices go up and then we capitalize on it. That’s why they call it capitalism. Stealing is when you get caught." 0 points.
You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor - I'm good at this, even though they are *GASP* inter-racial. Shhhhh. 1 point.
You shall not covet your neighbor's house - I live in Southern California, of course I covet my neighbor's house. At my current stipend, I would have to put my entire pay check in the bank for 48 years to make enough money. A recipe for covetation. O points.
You shall not covet your neighbor's wife - See above. Shhhhh. 1 point.

Final score: 5 1/2. What does this say about me? For those of you in advanced math, there are more than ten commandments here, what's the deal? I don't want to be accused of being a catholic bigot, so I included all of the commandments, regardless of denomination (Jewish, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Reformed, etc.). They all have ten, but they each get to pick and choose the best ones. I would take numbers 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8, the ones I scored high in. That way I would be moral, and could go to heaven, and spend eternity with religious fundamentalist. That's my idea of utopia.

Two in a Week

2008-02-24T21:13:00.000-08:00

Raining in Riverside, sunny in the desert. So depressing to wake up to the dreary weather, but those oldies (nudies?) in Palm Springs were hording all the sun. Yet another reason to leave Riverside, and lord knows there are many.

But the point, I sent another V11 today, the Lamprect Problem (SP?) over by Pigpen. This must be one of the first few ascents, I know this problem isn't repeated often. I think I was special made for this one though. It's always refreshing when those route skills of mine come into play - I got 6 kneebars on this little boulder problem.

Sorry there aren't any photos, this is a left over shot from last weekend in Bishop, courtesy of Johnny. Hey, like I said, this morning was depressing with the rain, and depression leads to forgetfulness, forgetfulness to lack of a camera. Or so I'm told.

[UPDATE] - I hear from a reliable source that this is likely the second ascent of the problem. Not bad, especially since the FA was over five years ago.

Business Ethics

2008-02-24T00:25:00.000-08:00

While teaching business ethics these last few months I've had time to think about the idea that the moral obligation of a corporation is to make money for its stockholders. I'm pretty damn liberal, so obviously I disagree with this idea, but trying to formulate a strong argument is tough. Luckily, I don't think I have to.

What would you say about someone who acted entirely selfish, who was only looking out for his own self interest? This person might help another on a rare occasion, but only because it also benefited him in some derivative way. You would morally censure this person, call him bad, selfish in the derogatory sense of the word, not the type of guy you want to have around.

Now imagine a government that was only concerned with its own well-being and didn't care about the lives of its citizens above and beyond what was necessary to stay in power. I suppose such a government isn't too difficult to imagine, there are a number of ready examples such as North Korea, perhaps the old government of Afghanistan, dictatorships around the world. These are bad governments, they aren't fulfilling their moral duty to their citizens. This is not the type of country you would want to live in.

Thoughts such as these, and there are more, lead me to think that no moral entity should be solely concerned with its own self-interest. However, there is one entity, corporations, that many argue should act to achieve the single goal of profits. The common idea is that corporations are obligated to pursue returns for their stockholders, that this is there sole moral responsibility. Employees, suppliers, society as a whole - all are means to achieve this end.

I've read the arguments in favor of this conception of the moral duty of the corporation, and they are simply shit. This isn't to say there aren't good arguments out there, just that I haven't seen any in all of my readings. But the point is that we probably shouldn't expect such an argument. Why would corporations differ so fundamentally in their moral obligations from individuals, governments, or any other social organization. This would make the corporation entirely unique, the only moral entity with a single self-serving obligation - to make money.

When a theory has a consequence that appears counter to what would be expected from looking at similar cases, some explaining is certainly in order. A theory of gravity that has gravity as a force of attraction in every part of the universe except Pluto needs a story as to why Pluto should receive special treatment (because it is sad from being kicked out of the planet club). This shifts the burden of proof over to the proponent of corporate america's current view. It isn't that I need to come up with a knockdown argument against such a view, but rather it is up to the corporation to prove its point. The original position should be that corporations, like individuals and governments, are obligated to others, must look out for the well-being of others, and any deviation from this must be explained.

What are the thoughts? Anyone want to be an asshole like Milton Friedman?

Reunion

2008-02-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

I've been around, oh you know it's true, and Bishop is easily in my list of top five most magical places in the world. The high desert, the snow, the boulder for scaling, god damn, I love it. Guess where I spent last weekend? Seeing old friends, climbing old rocks. Who've we got, a list:

Justin, bear tracker, all around great guy, living at home.
Peter, tall, funny, gangly, and tall.
Shannon, finally putting that MS in Aeronautical Engineering from Stanford to good use, that is to say, no longer working in a climbing gym (but still living at home, ha).
John, our lovely photographer, a gentleman's gentleman, with the demeanor of an English valet.

But in terms of sendage, there was some love coming from the rocks. Peter got 2/3 of his projects (goes to show what can be accomplished when you don't set your sights too high? Breathed air, the trip was a success). Shannon had a five minute epic flash of the Arch Druid (V5), as seen in the photo below. Justin...I think he got Soul Slinger (V8/9), but I'm not too sure because I was too busy being into myself.

Why's that? Because I was the star of the trip of course, absconding with Already Forgotten, my second V11. It's a traverse in the Cave Boulder in the Buttermilks, long, kneebars, my style. I also did Devoted, a V9 slab, because that's just how I am. But the photo of the trip belongs to me. Climbing the Leary-Bard Arete (V5), looking grizzled, looking good. By the way, check out how hardcore I am these days. Wouldn't want to run into that in a dark ally, now would you?

Think I'm biased? take a look at other takes on the trip here and here, two shameless ripoffs of my blog template.

Milgram Experiment

2008-02-22T00:34:00.000-08:00

This is fascinating. All it takes to make the majority of people electrocute someone to death is to be told to do so by a man in a lab coat. This is a recreation of the classic Milgram Experiment, in which subjects are told to shock a person if they get the answer wrong, all in the name of science. There really aren't any shocks, but an actor is making it sound like he is getting electrocuted. Most people give enough electricity to cause death.

Watching these people struggle with whether or not to continue with the electric shocks is difficult, up there with those sex scenes in the movies you would watch with your parents growing up. You kind of look away, but you are totally into it. And I've got to say, why is the word for frying someone with electricity a combination of "electro" and "cute?" I feel like digi-pets (remember those!) are electro-cute, but murder is electro-asshole.

So the question: would you have gone all the way to 450 volts? I think I might have.

Feynman Bongos

2008-02-21T01:05:00.001-08:00

I've been horribly neglectful of my blog here (does that make me a bad person?) To make amends, I give you Richard Feynman on the bongos, one of the greatest minds of the last 100 years, and all he wants is some orange juice.

Molesting Wax

2008-02-05T01:40:00.000-08:00

I'd never really thought about it before, but wax museums let you molest anyone you want, dead or alive. My goal was to make out with Madam Curie, I always thought she would be all hot an skinny because of the radiation poisoning, but this place wasn't nearly that classy. I made due.

Madam Tussaud's Wax Museum in Las Vegas, the place where dreams come true that you never knew you had. Like snorting coke with James Brown, or giving Larry King a wet willy. Who knew a spitty finger in the ear could still keep one's interest, I thought they had gone the way of Zubaz, fun to reminisce about but good for little else.

I towered over Prince doing the opening scene from the official 1999 video, replacing purple with kick. And, as you have already seen, I twitched Benjie's little nips, that naughty diplomat/inventor/sex machine.

Who knew such wonders awaited at a wax museum? Did I desire such things before I entered, or did the place stir up secret passions that have always dwelt within? Perhaps we shall never know.

Cluckers

2008-01-31T00:38:00.000-08:00

This video is a little old, but it's still worth it. Climbers who fuck, not fuckers who climb. It's not on youtube, something about not being able to show fake sex or something, I don't know.

I couldn't find a good photo, so I googled "climbing hot." This is what I got, you can see the full image if you click on it. Rawr!

The Savant

2008-01-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

I focus much of my time on philosophy of mind with an emphasis on consciousness, the experiences you have from the senses (vision, audition, tactile, etc.) and from thought. There is one large obstacle in the study of consciousness - there is no third person way to experience consciousness, you only have access to your own. Because of this, we are forced to rely on what people say they are experiencing, and people are notoriously prone to error in their introspective reports. It would be like studying how far people can jump by only looking at how far people say they jump when you know they are really bad at judging distance.

With that in mind, how do people experience numbers? I'm not sure what the answer is, but it certainly is not the norm to experience them as shapes. Take a look at this fascinating documentary on a savant who is able to perform complex mathematical calculations in seconds. According to him, he experiences numbers as unique shapes in his consciousness, and his method of multiplication is to place two of these shapes next to each other and look at the space in between. This space is a new shape which he then translates into an answer.

The end of part 5 and all of part 6 contain the most in-depth discussion of his experience of numbers. He is interviewed by a neural scientist at UC San Diego to see if he truly performs calculations in this way, or if he uses memorization (his memory is amazing, he recites pi to 22,500 decimal places early in the documentary). Although it is all only quasi-scientific, the idea that he is able to experience numbers as geometric shapes (or landscapes as he calls it at times) is cool.

If the way he experiences numbers enables him to perform calculations faster and more accurately, perhaps the way one experiences reading (as words, as a narration by an inner voice, or directly onto the ideas) can influence reading speed and comprehension. If this is the case, and the way one experiences reading is trainable, the effect on pedagogy would be huge. I didn't learn to read until I was in third grade because of poor teaching methodology (you can't learn to read like you learn to speak, through osmosis!), so I can attest to the deficiencies in our understanding here. I was in the dumb reading class. Boo hoo.

However, going back to the jumping analogy, how tough to study! Especially when everyone jumps different distances. So irritating when people experience the same thing in different ways! Where are the laws of consciousness? I'm a fan of laws. Sure am.

[Part 1]
[Part 2]
[Part 3]
[Part 4]
[Part 5]
[Part 6]

TA Quandry

2008-01-28T16:28:00.000-08:00

One of my students e-mailed me about a poor grade he received on the Business Ethics final last quarter. I graded his paper in a shitty hotel in Tijuana after missing my flight to Monterrey and being forced to buy a new ticked, so I may have been a little harsh. After looking over it again, I decided that he should have received a higher grade on the exam.

I got a grade change form, but it says that “no change of grade may be made on the basis of reassessment of the quality of the student’s work.” The question: is changing his grade a reassessment or not? It seems to me that it can go either way. On one hand, I read the paper once (in a shitty hotel) and gave it a grade, and then read it later (in Potrero Chico) and gave a slightly higher grade. This sure looks like a reassessment.

Yet I probably should have given him the second grade the first time through, which makes it look more like a clerical error than anything else. At the very least, this second way of looking at it doesn’t imply that a drastic reassessment occurred, merely that a mistake was made the first time around and now it must be fixed.

But what a shitty rule this “no reassessment” policy is. What if a multiple choice test is graded using the wrong answer key? If you put it back through the machine, isn’t this a reassessment of the quality of the student’s work? And of course changing a grade for this reason is ok. This rule is shit, and I’m sure it only exists to cut down on paperwork in the registrar’s office. Well maybe if they weren’t so damn lazy over there, we teachers could do our job with skillz.

Hawaii

2008-01-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

I spent last weekend in Hawaii, surfing, beaching, snorkeling, running, jumping, all the things you do in Hawaii. I only had three days on the island, but hey, when that's all you've got. I even ate some fish because I'm the world's worst vegetarian. I can justify it because fish don't have souls, and I should know, I'm a philosopher.

Amna and I got this awesome couples photo. I had an asian guy take it for us, I figured they must be the best tourist photographers out there, if not for natural ability then out of sheer practice and repetition. I must be in fifty chinese family/couples photos from my trip last summer. Dudes would ask me to be in a photo with their girlfriends, umm...ok. Creepy, but ok.

I leave you with Amna Superstar. Yay!

Moral Intuitions

2008-01-23T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here is what I do all day, read smut like this:

"Julie and Mark are brother and sister. They are traveling together in France on summer vacation from college. One night they are staying alone in a cabin near the beach. They decide that it would be interesting and fun if they tried making love. At very least it would be a new experience for each of them. Julie was already taking birth control pills, but Mark uses a condom too, just to be safe. They both enjoy making love, but they decide not to do it again. They keep that night as a special secret, which makes them feel even closer to each other. What do you think about that, was it OK for them to make love?"

So what are the thoughts on this? If there is something wrong with this forbidden love, what is it? Can you give reasons? Whatever the reasons are, they shouldn't appeal to the negative consequences of inbreeding - there were two forms of birth control used. And they shouldn't appeal to the repercussions on their relationship, it got better afterwards. So why is this wrong?

I just read an interesting paper on this. Haidt argues that we don't reason our way to moral judgments, but instead are driven by our gut feelings towards the situation. Reason merely plays an after the fact role in justifying our intuitive feelings. This is partly why this example is so strange (the other one is that it involves incest, eeewwwwww). Our gut reactions are separated from reason because nothing bad happens - reason can't come to the aid of our moral intuitions.

Strange huh, the idea that we don't reason through these things but merely feel them. Also, sex with a sibling is creepy. But is it creepier than masturbating with a chicken before cooking and eating it? But that is another paper for another time.

The Return

2008-01-16T15:17:00.000-08:00

I've been horribly neglectful of my blogger duties. Let me begin by finishing off my trip to mexico. So here it is, The Return:

I left Tecolutla because I had a seminar to get back in time for. Unfortunately, all of the buses were booked because of the holdays. So I had to be creative. An hour ride got me to Poza Rica, then a three hour wait, then a 1:00 am bus to Puebla, then an hour wait, then a two hour bus to mexico city, then getting lost on the metro, picking up a bag I left, more metro, then waiting in the airport. I was on standby, and I spoke with a woman who had been waiting since 5:00 am to get on a flight with no luck. In fact, no one on the waitlist had found an open spot all day.

So I waited in apathy an depression. This photo here is after eight hours in the airport. You can literally see my spirit dying in atrophy. That's right, I'll use "literally" however the hell I want to.

Dumb luck and charm got me a flight, last of the evening, only one who got on it. I was so late, one of the workers ran to the terminal with me, on the phone calling the gate to hold the plane for me.

I crossed the border with $15 in pesos and a passport, nothing else since I lost my cell phone in Monterrey and got my wallet stolen in Mexico City. I needed to get a hold of Amna who was waiting to pick me up, but I had no change. And it was 1:30 am so everything was closed. I tried calling collect, but no dice on her cell phone. So I traded a cabbie some pesos for change, but you can't make long distance calls from pay phones anymore with cash, you've got to use a card. Fuck. So close, but fuck. I finally borrowed a drunk's cell. I got home at 3:30 am. It was nearly 30 hours of travel, shit.

So now the quarter has begun. Damn. Damn. I need to climb more.