In my first year of climbing I needed to rappel 40 feet. I had left my one and only belay device on the ground with my belayer.

So I wrapped the rope around a biner 2 or 3 times and proceeded to rappel down. Soon the rope twists came right across the non-locking gate, opened it, and I was off.

This happened very very slowly. So slow in fact that I was able to reach up, grab the rope then let the biner unclip. So yes, I was hanging maybe 25 feet off the ground, from one hand. While hanging I grabbed a sling and tied a prussick and then had my belayer toss me up my belay device. It was a significantly sketch moment.

Did I catch the rope? Yes, but I eased onto it, I did not fall.
Could I do it again? Very unlikely.

That incident might be proof that you can be a total idiot and get away with it, as long as you're 19.

I hate this argument. You mean you don't get any benefits from taxes? You probably won't get social security cause your president is going to ruin that. You mean to tell me that people with mental disabilities should be expected to hold a job and take care of themselves? I have a job, I pay taxes, I'm not republican. I guess once you realize that all your taxes are paying for a foreign occupation, the purpose of which is to strengthen our hold on the world's oil reserves, it's easy to be a democrat. (which, by the way, I'm not). You're so worried about f-ing taxes, stop voting for people who give tax breaks to the wealthy. It's not wonder why the gap between the have and have-nots is growing. There is hardly a middle class anymore. Ask anybody who was alive in the 50s and 60s. ...homeless people... heh. Keep hording your resources selfish, not only are you not a member of a community, you also can take your money with you when you die.

oh jeez, im trying so hard not to go on a political rant. Basically, don't vote for hillary for so many reasons. 1)take money from rich and just give it to the poor? wheres the sense in that? the rich(er) people actually work but get their money taken away to give to the poor people who dont work but get free money. 2) her whole election campaign is centered around the fact that shes a woman. just recently she came out of a debate that she lost badly and said that the other people in the debate were picking on her because she was a woman. so if she becomes president and some other country starts nuking us, is she just gonna whine and say that its because shes a woman? doesnt sound like much of a president to me. im gonna cut myself off now before i right another three pages on why not to vote for hillary. but by the way, i dont see obama complaing that other people are picking on him because he is black, and everyone seems to overlook the fact that we havent had a black president either.

by the way I'm not selfish at all. I donate quite a bit of money to charity. I've also given quite a bit of money to some of my friends and helped them out from time to time. I consider myself pretty generous. I just don't think the government should dictate who I give my money to. (Not to mention that most of the money you give to the government goes to overhead - such as non-binding resolutions.) I prefer to give my money to good hardworking people, not lazy people who take advantage of the system. There is a big difference between someone who is mentally challenged (my sister is - and she does get social security and she does need it) and someone who is perfectly capable but lazy and would rather sit at home and collect social security than work. These people need to grow up, get off the couch and do something productive with their lives.

And I hate how liberals demonize the rich. Yeah it sucks that they are rich and you are not. But then again a poor guy never offered me a job.

And just so you know the war in Iraq is not as big a part of the budget percentagewise as you think. It's actually quite small. I don't remember off the top of my head, but if you actually do some research I'm sure you can find it and enlighten us all.

Flame away - and how about a little logic this time.

Finally somebody who uses knows how to use that watermelon shaped thing sitting on his shoulders. if only the rest of America could be so bright.

Finally somebody who uses knows how to provide argument ruining irony. If only everybody I debate could be so self-less.

For the love of god, somebody please move this to the soap box. The OP has acknowledged that his question has been answered. Please do not let this political crap infect the temple of truth that is "General."

Having said that, you are all idiots.

The social programs in this country put in place largely by the democrats are shamefully inadequate and only meant to make it look like they are sympathetic. The republicans on the other hand are just straight out assholes. No other way to describe it.

Rich people do suck and poor people do need help. Anyone who says otherwise is either rich or has never seen a homeless person or come within 100 yards of a homeless person in their life. I spend every day in New York City. Homelessness is a bit of a problem here. I trip over the homeless nearly every day and they take up all of our park benches. Since we can't drown them all in the east river like kittens we might as well feed them and give them someplace to sleep (other than my park bench). Unless you "republicans" want to come down here, roll up your sleeves and start drowning homeless people like kittens, you better do something because lower middle class people like me have no where to read a newspaper.

Now then, mods please move to Soap Box before the right to bear arms and the whole 'is there a God/no, STFU god boy!' thing comes up.

I agree completely on all points. Oh, and I'm a god boy.

For the love of god, somebody please move this to the soap box. The OP has acknowledged that his question has been answered. Please do not let this political crap infect the temple of truth that is "General."

Having said that, you are all idiots.

The social programs in this country put in place largely by the democrats are shamefully inadequate and only meant to make it look like they are sympathetic. The republicans on the other hand are just straight out assholes. No other way to describe it.

Rich people do suck and poor people do need help. Anyone who says otherwise is either rich or has never seen a homeless person or come within 100 yards of a homeless person in their life. I spend every day in New York City. Homelessness is a bit of a problem here. I trip over the homeless nearly every day and they take up all of our park benches. Since we can't drown them all in the east river like kittens we might as well feed them and give them someplace to sleep (other than my park bench). Unless you "republicans" want to come down here, roll up your sleeves and start drowning homeless people like kittens, you better do something because lower middle class people like me have no where to read a newspaper.

Now then, mods please move to Soap Box before the right to bear arms and the whole 'is there a God/no, STFU god boy!' thing comes up.

For the love of god, somebody please move this to the soap box.

<snip>

Having said that, you are all idiots.

<snip>

Now then, mods please move to Soap Box before the right to bear arms and the whole 'is there a God/no, STFU god boy!' thing comes up.

STFU, you are so wrong. Why was there a Great Depression? I'll tell you why. People got lazy for several years. Very, very lazy, all around the world, and they all just wanted a free handout from the government. Luckily the rich hardworking people of the world started WWII and killed off all of the lazy people (the rich ones didn't have to fight) and then there were no more lazy people for awhile and it was much better.

C'mon now... that's just ridiculous. This is a serious dialogue in a forum designed for legitimate discussion of american politics (screw you, canada!). We all know that the Great Depression came long after WWII. Now if you want to use sarcasm to mock serious posts I suggest you go back to 'General'...

oh wait...

Whoa who who... stop right there. With Harper as Prime Minister, American politics ARE Canadian politics. Our homeless are headed right on up there, side by side with the best NYC has to offer. Another couple of years of this and our natural talent for being the best at useless things will takes right past you weak-assed Americans when it comes to idiotic governmental policies.

nuff said...

Oh no!!! Not Canadian politics!!!! Forget Soap Box. For the love of all things holy, mods, please lock this thread and send it to the recycling bin. We're all gonna die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!

Oh no!!! Not Canadian politics!!!! Forget Soap Box. For the love of all things holy, mods, please lock this thread and send it to the recycling bin. We're all gonna die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111!

STFU God Boy!!!!!!

(Sorry. Couldn't resist )

--Andy P

you definitely have a point... Mods! Please make me stop!

God bless the Canadian dollar. Despite the collapse of the US housing bubble, my mom was able to sell her house to a Canadian and now she can retire in California.

What does voting for Bush have to do with being stupid?

Wait for it... wait for it...