Planet G.M.I.

upload of some photo...

2012-01-05T15:08:00.000-08:00

SkiLink Map to Sorrytude upload

2012-01-03T14:47:00.000-08:00

Why I am against Snowbirds "mountain coaster"

2011-01-13T07:21:00.000-08:00

I attended the planning commission meeting. I listened to them tell the public that our comments didn't matter. I have read comments in the news and on Facebook asking "why are you against the mountain coaster?" and "why is everyone whining about it?" Here is my answer:

Why am I against it? For a lot of reasons:
1) It will bring more traffic up an already congested canyon. This will bring more trash, air pollution, noise pollution.
2) It will be an eyesore on one of our most accessible State Scenic Byways.
3) When I recreate up in that canyon I want wildness, such development, including existing structures, negatively impact my experience.
4) The Wasatch Master Plan is currently being revised. I think we should wait till that is complete before we approve any further major development such as this. This will help deal with issues of traffic, watershed, approved uses, etc.
5) It doesn’t fit within the current master plan from 1989 and thus doesn’t meet criteria for a conditional use permit--though the county thinks otherwise.
6) It is being approved without any actual plans, no architectural drawings, only artist renderings. We don’t even know what we are getting.
7) As noted above, with increased traffic, construction, people, pollution, I worry about our watershed. And with Snowbird using some cocktail of ammonia/vinegar and “other chemicals” to spray the structure and other structures with, I am leery to let them build anything that requires it.
8) Development is always a slippery slope. Here are a list of other existing threats to our Wasatch:
a) Snowbirds efforts to expand into American Fork
b) Snowbirds efforts to build a mall on top of Hidden Peak which will be visible from anywhere in the valley and the mountains.
c) The Basshole (existing)
d) Alta’s efforts to expand across Flagstaff Peak and the Emma Ridge.
e) Alta and Snowbird’s efforts (in process) of building more condos and shopping in the canyon.
f) Solitudes efforts to expand into Silver Fork.
g) Developers efforts to build multiple (6 I think) golf courses and condo projects over Guardsman's Pass--all they need is the road to get paved.
h) The threat of the Alta-Brighton tunnel.
9) Also, Snowbird didn’t present any other option. I assume that rather than dealing with the USFS land (which would keep the roller coaster on the north slope and less intrusive--more like PC and no bridges over SR-201) they kept it on private property to avoid the public. I think they should present alternatives.
10) Despite their claims of being protectors of wildness and the environment, Snowbird has a track record of destroying wilderness (see Mineral Basin, and Snowbird in general).
11) There has been no request for water quality or environmental impact tests. This should be required in an area that provides water to thousands of people.

In general we rush to develop and I am afraid of loosing wildness so close to an urban center--something truly unique these days. I just moved here from California. There you have to drive at least 2 hours, but for most 5-6 hours, to get to anything close to the Wasatch. We take that for granted in Utah. Development threatens a lot of wildness in Utah, from the South to the North. As stewards it is our job to keep it in check, preserve it for our children, and best of all get outside and enjoy it while we still have it!

Intuition

2010-07-14T23:19:00.001-07:00

It was ether intuition, inspiration, or luck, nevertheless, we found it. This was one of those days with high Sierra winds so high that they would knock you off balance, the rime was horizontal and at least 6 inches thick protruding from tree limbs, your face felt sunburned and leathery. We skied the south face of Castle Peak from the summit (a gnarly bunch of conglomerate rocks and cliffs) following the path of least resistance, cautiously as we knew there was a false chute--somewhere. Once we got to a certain point and knew we were safe. I finally took out the camera, below is one of the few shots.

Skiing was actually great, though a little thin, but this line rarely fills in (acc. to local lore) so I was happy regardless. The apron opened up nice, the clouds broke with sun and fresh tracks, no one around but us. California is nice like that, the backcountry ain't crowded like my home hills the "Wasangeles" Range. I hope to ski this line again--it was a blast. I love skiing and this hot weather is killing me, seriously. Summer needs to move fast.

Well, off to the Philippines where it's not only hotter than Hades, but also raining!

Soccer on the Yellow Sea

2010-07-10T16:04:00.001-07:00

Some shots from a soccer game I played in Byeonsanbando National Park, Korea, last fall. It was a classic soccer game that went on for a long time, followed by the best Korean bbq I have ever had (I have had a lot).

Legend has it that those islands in the background are the back of a great sea monster that protected South Korea from a northern enemy (I think the Chinese). As the aggressor tried to land the monstor rose up and destroyed the enemy navy.

Or at least that's what those guys said...

2010-06-27T03:51:00.000-07:00

Whittakers in Yosemite 5-2010 from Jed Whittaker on Vimeo.

Rainier 2010...eeeghh...

2010-06-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

Last years summit/ski was amazing. We climbed and skiied the Fuhrer Finger with blue skies and warm weather. The skiing was terrific and the trip confirmed my new found motivation to ski volcanos. This year's trip was a blast, I must say that upfront, but...

(above: suckers not on skis. I can't beleive anyone would hike all the way up to walk down!)

This trip we decided to ski the supposedly classic Muir snow field as a day trip. We did, but due to the weather it turned into survival skiing. Most of the trip was spent tring to figure out where the horizon was--vertigo skiing. We opted to not ski the Nisqually Chutes and risk loosing route or crossing crevasses we couldn't see. Routfind was still a pain, but in the end good times were had by all (Dan Peck and I).

Dan working his way up the Muir Freeway.

Sierra Snow Day...Ski time again......

2010-06-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

Rawmin, woo-woot!

Me, nameless coulior, hard snow. Photo: Rawmin.

Ramin, Mark, John and plenty of terrain for next year!

John, near Round Top

Gotta get up to get down, Mark, John, Ramin botting up the Crescent Moon Couloir, Round Top. Its a fun ski, but I think the entrance is the best part, bring extra pants.

Ski Time

2010-04-05T17:01:00.001-07:00

I finally got to ski this winter after spending half of it overseas. Got a daily does of deep Wasatch snow, some steep lines down a tall forbidding mountain, and some tight turns down a shute with an arch at the top. Fun. I have got to get back to the homeland. Spent some great time with family and friends and found a new indian place that gives the Bombay House a run for their Kurma. Move videos coming soon.

Circle All 4-1-10 from Jed Whittaker on Vimeo.

More from the Philippines

2010-03-25T18:51:00.001-07:00

A seaside village on the south tip of Bataan. Houses built from anything available.

Children playing in same village as above. This is the beach, playground, backyard, dump. We stopped here on our way out to another village to get another boat.

Eh, just some photos.

2010-03-12T00:46:00.000-08:00

Morning, Pasay Road, Makati.

Ann, about to ski accross Echo Lake.

Big tree, Echo Summit.

All photos compyright: 2010 C.J. Whittaker

Tim DeChristopher and the Wilderness Debate

2010-02-19T09:24:00.000-08:00

As Tim DeChristopher has become a central role in the debate over wilderness in Utah, and theh rest of the country, I feel I need to post this call to everyone from a few of wildernesses greatest voices (I will post more on this later):

Dear Friends,

The epic fight to ward off global warming and transform the energy system that is at the core of our planet’s economy takes many forms: huge global days of action, giant international conferences like the one that just failed in Copenhagen, small gestures in the homes of countless people.

But there are a few signal moments, and one comes next month, when the federal government puts Tim DeChristopher on trial in Salt Lake City. Tim—“Bidder 70”– pulled off one of the most creative protests against our runaway energy policy in years: he bid for the oil and gas leases on several parcels of federal land even though he had no money to pay for them, thus upending the auction. The government calls that “violating the Federal Onshore Oil and Gas Leasing Reform Act” and thinks he should spend ten years in jail for the crime; we call it a noble act, a profound gesture made on behalf of all of us and of the future.

Tim’s action drew national attention to the fact that the Bush Administration spent its dying days in office handing out a last round of favors to the oil and gas industry. After investigating irregularities in the auction, the Obama Administration took many of the leases off the table, with Interior Secretary Ken Salazar criticizing the process as “a headlong rush.” And yet that same Administration is choosing to prosecute the young man who blew the whistle on this corrupt process.

We cannot let this stand. When Tim disrupted the auction, he did so in the fine tradition of non-violent civil disobedience that changed so many unjust laws in this country’s past. Tim’s upcoming trial is an occasion to raise the alarm once more about the peril our planet faces. The situation is still fluid—the trial date has just been set, and local supporters are making plans for how to mark the three-day proceedings. But they are asking people around the country to flood into Salt Lake City in mid-March. If you come, there will be ample opportunity for both legal protest and civil disobedience. For example:

* Outside the courthouse, there will be a mock trial, with experts like NASA’s Jim Hansen providing the facts that should be heard inside the chambers. We don’t want Tim on trial—we want global warming on the stand.

*Demonstrators will be using the time-honored tactics of civil disobedience to make their voices heard outside the courthouse in an effort to prevent “business as usual”—it’s business as usual that’s wrecking the earth.

*There will be evening concerts and gatherings, including a “mini-summit” to share ideas on how the climate movement should proceed in the years ahead. This is a people’s movement that draws power from around the globe; for a few days its headquarters will be Salt Lake City.

You can get the most up-to-date news at climatetrial.com, including schedules for non-violence training, and information about legal representation. If you’re coming, bring not only your passion but also your creativity—we need lots of art and music to help make the point that we won’t sit idly by while the government tries to scare the environmental movement into meek cooperation. This kind of trial is nothing but intimidation—and the best answers to intimidation are joy and resolve. That’s what we’ll need in Utah.

We know it’s short notice. Some of us won’t be able to make it to Utah because we have other commitments or are limiting travel, and if you’re in the same situation, climatetrial.com will also have details of solidarity actions in other parts of the country. If you can contribute money to help make the week’s events possible, click here. But more than your money we need your body, your brains, and your heart. In a landscape of little water, where redrock canyons rise upward like praying hands, we can offer our solidarity to the wild: wild lands and wild hearts. Tim DeChristopher deserves and needs our physical and spiritual support in the name of a just and vibrant community.

Thank you for standing with us,

Naomi Klein,

Bill McKibben,

Terry Tempest Williams

Dr. James Hansen

More on MLK and Obama...

2010-01-18T17:13:00.000-08:00

This article puts it nicely.

This speech by MLK himself is historically accurate, and indeed applicable to our times.

I especially like these lines:

"It is with such activity in mind that the words of the late John F. Kennedy come back to haunt us. Five years ago he said, "Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." Increasingly, by choice or by accident, this is the role our nation has taken, the role of those who make peaceful revolution impossible by refusing to give up the privileges and the pleasures that come from the immense profits of overseas investments. I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin...we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered."

(As in Vietnam, Iraq, and other wars, it is the love of stuff that keeps us where we are and ensures others suffer for our comfort. There is a link between our wallets and suffering overseas)

"True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see that an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring."

"A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth...it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say, 'This is not just.'"

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

"We still have a choice today: nonviolent coexistence or violent coannihilation."

Note how Obama marginalized King's words while accepting the peace prize:

" "The non-violence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance..."

From accounts of our older leaders, we learn that the Vietnam war was fought on behalf of American investments/Wall Street. We prevented a self-democratic process, set up a Harvard-educated dictator, and denied pleads for aid and peace, then intentionally slaughtered as many innocent people as possible to break the backs of the Vietnamese people. We prevented an entire nation from choosing, in an election, their own type of government. Then we used the type of government they wanted (a sort of communism) as an excuse to go to war.

This is all to familiar...

I didn't vote for him OR the other sell out...

2010-01-14T21:10:00.000-08:00

Ya, that's right I voted for Nader.
I have been reading all these blogs and listening to all these "progressives" whine about Obama abandoning the left, or even some pathetic enough to keep pretending he is or was ever "left". I heard one "progressive" talk bout how Obama just needed to be "pushed" and then he'll do what he promised us, but he's still our man...right.

I don't know what all the fuss is. I mean, he's just doing what he said on his website during the campaign--increasing and re-branding the war on terror, giving big business tons of perks, benni's, bail-outs, helping out poor wally.

Honestly folks, after he practically plagiarized MLK's speeches don't you think he would actually agree with MLK's stance on war? Instead Obama treads on MLK's words and exports more death overseas.

And after escalating the war he said this while accepting a "peace prize":

"somewhere today, in this world, a young protester awaits the brutality of her government. But has the courage to march on."

He said that right after my friend Chris was beaten and arrested (was not read his rights or granted a phone call) while marching peacefullyfor peace in Pennsylvania .

Best Movie OF All-Time

2009-12-14T13:54:00.000-08:00

No intro needed, just want to say in times like these we need to remember the value of family:

Silver Fork: In Danger

2009-12-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

Solitude wants lifts up and down Silver Fork Canyon in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Read more here.

I don't think I need to go off on how disgusting this proposal is, especially for an industry that hasn't made a profit in 15 years. We MUST have wilderness designation for as much of the Wasatch as possible. Please support this.

PS: Solitude used to be my favorite resort. I have skied there since I was 2. I even taught there for a few months (then I moved to CA...). Many of my formative ski years were on that mountain. I would go there and ski powder while everyone else fought the croawds in LCC. I am sad to say I will NOT be sking there ANYMORE.

You have got to be kidding:

2009-12-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

This article about the Swiss ban on minarets and a possible French ban on the burka, shows that the crazy right winger's are not only located in conservative geography of the US, but also in Europe--often hailed in the US as a progressive society. This ban seams like something from the early half of last century. It is scary that masses of people are this afraid of one culture--enough to ban their rights to worship via architecture. It is scary that governments are banning religious practice in any way be it clothing or architecture. What's next, mandatory family name changes in the name of national assimilation and unity?

Bad news:

2009-10-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. winter heating fuel stockpiles remain well above year-ago levels, but the early arrival of cold temperatures in some regions of the United States have pushed oil prices higher this week.
Below is a sampling of recent winter outlooks from government and private forecasters.
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
El Nino phenomenon to be dominant factor in U.S. weather.
In December through February, warmer-than-average temperatures will prevail across much of the Western and Central states, with below average temperatures in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.
The forecast for the Northeast, the world's largest heating oil market, will have equal chances of above-normal, near-normal, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. [nN15304234]

New post....

2009-08-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

A few photos:

The above is neat-o. Click on it to make it big. It's not exactly a "good" photograph, but it was one of the more interesting sights I saw while skiing Mount Rainier this past May. The large most obvious black triangle in the left-middlish region is what I am speaking of. That is the shadow of the mountain. SO hugemoungous!!!You can even see the shadow in the air above it. It was amazing to behold.

The next photo is FUNNY: Why?

Because it is an obligatory summit shot after climbing Mt. Lassen--only it's not really the summit. We hiked all the way to the top and took a bunch of photos and ate some lunch--there were even plaques talking about the volcano etc.... Then someone told us we weren't at the summit. Just then the clouds literally parted and standing right there in front of us was another few hundred feet of mountain. Boy did we feel dumb--just look at the stupid smile on my face! These volcanoes are tricky... It was a very fun ski though.

I like this one (above) Ann took because I think it captures one of my most favorite moments: waking up in the desert. I love cool desert mornings, the sand, the sound of the Wren, and the sounds of leaves rustling in the huge cottonwood tree overhead.

And desert flowers. I love the desert.

I also like falling into snow. Except when its really hard crusted death snow, and a face plant, as demonstrated above. Photo by Justin Short.

I like hanging out at camp after a long climb. Eatin' salami and cheese, tortillas, smelly friends, gettin' sunburned. Hassen was (I think) trying to pick up on the ladies on the other side of the snow drift--why else would he wear such a nice shirt to ski Shasta? The top photo was by Mr. Tyler Neal.

And the best I saved for last. Hiking with my love, Ann:

We have been hiking all over California this past year. We hope to hike around Yosemite this fall if we get around to it. The above was taken around Moab. Ann's way fun to hike with because 1) I love her, 2) she brings real nice snacks, and 3) she makes all the funny jokes (I make the akward-not-so-funny jokes), and 4) she likes to go slow and take her time which means we get to wonder at more of natures more subtle beauty and take in the smells and sounds. I can't wait to go hiking with her again.

Canyons of the Colorado by John W Powell

2009-07-10T10:59:00.000-07:00

God is obviously way mad at us for flooding Glen Canyon (photo by CJ)

I am listening to a Librivox recording of “Canyons of the Colorado” by John W. Powell.

He describes his journeys on the Colorado and Green rivers, exploring side canyons, seeing wilderness largely untouched by western commerce. At first he gives long-winded accounts of the geology and lay of the Colorado Plateau, then around chapter 5 he starts the adventure. Adventuring is what those mean did. It wasn’t recreation or “fun” (as we have such luxury to enjoy wilderness as “fun”), it was adventure. They were exploring something unknown, surviving and starving at times. Even a rapid, such as we pay top dollar to raft down, could mean disaster for them. However, from his words one can tell that Powell and his team loved it all. Maybe I speak too soon, I am only half way through.

It is sad that we dammed and thus damned such place. Sacred hunting sites, homes, culture, geology, even recreation that we now know is essential to our survival.

From the history I also learned about how John W. Powell was also the worlds leading expert on the West, its water, and the best possible way to move into it. From other histories I have learned that even back then, big business infiltrated government, even at a federal level, and forever changed how the West was won, developed, and dominated by western-style ethics and sprawl. Big business is what got us where we are. Corrupted officials in bed with mining and large cattle outfits, ousting families from homes, working all sorts of secret combinations to get their way with our land. This is how the West was won. Despite warning from experts like Powell in powerful positions. You can read about it even in “conservative” histories.

Doesn’t it all sound familiar? This story of development in the West sounds like contemporary politics! It is true today as it was back then. And the voices of warning are still on the sidelines, being labeled as crazy fanatics, “socialists”, and a thousand other inaccurate labels.

Hindsight proves that Powell was right (he argued for development based on watersheds and divides, rather than the grid system of the east.). Though I don’t want to get into that long discussion at the moment, my point is this: It is time to start breaking the label barriers and start listening to the other side—and I mean listening, and reading, turning off the damning television, or even better, get rid of it. It is time to stop ignoring people because “they look like hippies”, stop ignoring people because they argue from a “moral high ground”, stop ignoring corruption—even claims of it. You are a person not a “Conservative” or a “liberal” or a “republican” or whatever.

HOWEVER, if you want to take a break from listening to that nouveau-circus music and Britney Spears, then click on this link to hear a classic piece of Western Literature that takes place, mostly in my homeland, a place I love.

Oh, email me and I can refer you to the other histories I talk about.

Socialism

2009-06-23T21:08:00.000-07:00

(Ricky Scott--he's a big fat liar, and VERY rich thanks to the scam of the health insurance industry)

Growing up in a middle-class neighborhood, attending both private and public schools in high school and college and graduating with a BFA, I was never once taught the true meaning and variety of socialism--even in PolySci classes. Sure, somewhere around 10th grade my history teacher, Mr. Witucki--a nice, monotonous teacher, glazed over it briefly in about one sentence…wait, I don’t think he even did that. Then Mr. Jones(?), who was primarily the baseball coach, didn’t teach us the definition ether. Later in my college years I took a few different history classes and there again socialism wasn’t even mention except to say “they” were socialists and that we feared they would take over the world. The only people who really understood it were philosphy majors, political science majors, and some english majors.
I learned about socialism from self-study. I learned that socialism isn’t the label I heard from family and neighbors growing up. I learned there are about as many different versions of socialism as there are American apples. Some forms have mean dictators; some have constitutions based on the same principles found in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. Some were based on religious principals found in the bible and other religious texts (like many born in America, the early Mormons for example had a their version), and some were a threat to American industry. I learned socialist models of health care, environmental policies, and other tools, can be used in a democracy to great effectiveness.

I learned that our government conned the American people into killing millions of innocent people in Vietnam with the tool of fear by saying that communism would spread like a virus if we didn’t stop it with force. Later we found it was just an excuse. Plenty of government officials and documents reveal our real desire was for Vietnam’s natural resources. If the people chose Ho Chi Minh as their leader (which they did) then our big businesses could not extract the rubber, tin, teak, petroleum, and rice that Vietnam was endowed with. It was this choice, the desire of the Vietnamese people for Ho Chi Minh, that kept them from loosing the war—the people stood up, and they won. And we killed or maimed millions of there women, children, and men trying to break their solidarity. Socialism was the cover-up—and still is.

I also learned why my generation and older generations can’t see past the word “socialism” in context of American policy making.
Those earlier generations were taught about socialism via American propaganda films (there are plenty for your view pleasure on YouTube). They were taught that socialists were godless killers ready to take over the world like a swarm of ants. Those earlier generations were subject to years of political thought training and American “patriotism”. They passed the same ideology onto their children and succeeded at numbing everyone to any political ideas outside of their pretended republic for which they consume.

And we are still subject to the same old propaganda. Recently the crook Richard "Rick" L Scott (and he is a crook, in the 90’s he masterminded tens of millions of dollars of fraudulent billing in 7 states) has launched a huge campaign on TV defaming Obama’s health care plan. The ads are obviously not avoiding the same old socialist arguments as we have heard for decades. And Scott has millions of viewers trained by years of propaganda and captivated by the break between their important episodes of Family Guy and Crime Scene Busters—or whatever it’s called. America is just ready to believe.

This ignorance keeps progress at bay. It keeps things like single payer health care from even being talked about on serious level. It keeps oligarchs in power of American "capitalism" and renders the people in the US easily confused about nationalism and patriotism. It keeps Federal lands from desreved protection, and churches as the ineffective crutch making up for the lack in America's oligarchical brand of capitalism. It keeps hard working lower classes and their families poor, hungry, uneducated, dying from lack of basic health care, nutrition, and crime.

It keeps crooks like Rick Scott making hundreds of millions a year.

NEW Header!!! For a limited time only!!!

2009-05-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Besides the obvious, I just got back from a weekend in Southern Utah. Ann and I went to enjoy the land and the open sky and discuss the land and its future. See this post.

There will be a lot of controversy over this land in the near future with a leftist congress, and a extremely right-winged group of county commissioners and a new Gov. in Utah.
A few weeks ago Rep. Noel from Kanab said "...don't trash the environment..." just before leading 300 ATV's and other vehicles up the delicate and beautiful Pariah Canyon. This illegal action has not been prosecuted by the BLM or State or local officials.

He was complainging that the Federal Government was trying to take our (Utah's) land away from us by designating it a National Monument. As if such an action eliminated his access--despite the fact that he can still ride a horse, run, walk, swim, drive cattle, and cartwheel up the canyon when ever he wants.

I did email him about all this. I asked him (very politely) how 300 ORV's driving and trampeling down a fragile desert ecosystem could not "trash the environment." I also informed him that no one was taking access away from him--only preserving public access for future generations.

He didn't reply.

The bottom line is that SUWA is trying to preserve 9.5 million acres of PUBLIC land. That means it's YOUR land. FEDERAL public land.

Please write your federal representatives and tell them to support and co-sponsor America's Red Rock Wilderness Act

ALTA

2009-05-13T22:53:00.000-07:00

I am not posting again till all of you voice you opinion on the Alta lift issue!!! Its easy, you can even fill out the online survey:

HERE

Boycott Alta

2009-05-05T22:44:00.000-07:00

If you haven't heard, Alta is in the planning stages of expanding their lift operation across the street to an area called Flagstaff Mountain.
This wonderful place is the THE most popular backcountry skiing and hiking spot in Utah and arguably the USA.
It would mean the one of the last remote places in the Wasatch would no longer be.
It would mean more parking lots, more pollution, more problems.
Land that has been protected by some very stringent building rules would become over run with stucco and log cabins.
A lift here would mean upper little cottonwood canyon would be the next Park City.

Alta is giving poor excuses for the lift like "avalanche control"--while ignoring the 20(?) other LARGE avalanche paths down canyon.
They say the military is running out of avy gun ammo, though, according to some, they have been saying that for the past 20 years. And the military is still using the ammo--so this must also be a fabricated excuse.

What's going on is a bunch of private land owners are trying to build a massive Deer Vally type resort.

PLEASE write the mayor of Alta and tell him how you feel, the letters are needed. We need volume here.

Alta Mayor Tom Pollard’s contact info:

email: tjp@townofalta.com

Mayor Tom Pollard
Alta Town Offices
P.O. Box 8016
Alta, UT 84092

More info:

HERE

Happy Cinco de Mayo...NOT

2009-05-05T22:37:00.000-07:00

So today we planned on having a Cinco de Mayo part at work. So I did my part and got sprite and orange juice from the store on the way to work. I walked in the door and immediately wished my friend Irma (who is from Mexico): "Happy Cinco de Mayo!" She replies "Oh, you too...we don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Mexico." Then later we go out to eat anf Fabian, also from Mexico, says "Why are we going out again?"

2009-05-02T21:31:00.000-07:00

We all know that we are sucking the oldest forest and largest carbon reservoir (the Boreal Forest) down during our many pointless “errands” everyday. But little did I know that I am wiping my body with it too, then throwing it away. Yes folks, this home/breading ground to most migratory birds, and home to indigenous people is what your toilet paper, and other paper wipes is made from. It is one of the oldest forests on earth.
This is the epitome of consumerism (or one of the many). We take a wonderful forest that is vitally important to our worldwide environment, chop it down and wipe our butts with it (sorry to be literal, but its true).
Ask yourself, do you really need toilet paper made from ancient trees from northern Canada? Honestly ask yourself that question. And then ask, is that good stewardship?
Are there other options? Of course!
Most companies you see in stores use trees from the boreal forest to make tissue. However, most grocers also carry toilet paper made from recycled paper (used some tonight, I didn’t notice a difference from the more “comfortable brands”). The brand I use is called “Bright Green.” For more info click:

HERE and HERE use these guides to know which brands are good and which are bad.

Buying recycled toilet paper is one way you can immediately help stop this. It is a market driven approach that is easy to do—just buy a different brand (as listed above). Just cast your vote every time you go to the market, by recycled toilet paper.
This is amazing. We take a wonderful place and we tear it down for toilet paper. I bet none who have read this blog have ever visited the Boreal forest, which means you probably have zero emotional connection to its preservation.
I have been there (the parts in Alaska) and it is wonderful. It is vast and large and only 8% are protected. The trees are unique and grow different that they grow here, twisty, gnarly, and ghost-like. It is the home to a wide variety of species. It is also still mostly wild. Let’s keep it that way; we have taken our fair share from Mother Nature.

End Universities?

2009-04-27T19:22:00.000-07:00

This was interesting....

I read it and am still thinking about, I have to move on because I lots to do tonight...

Ok ok folks...

2009-04-21T20:00:00.000-07:00

photo:cj whittaker

My computer is finally fixed and hope to post more often now.

Its been a long winter with no Ann. I am quite sick of coming home to an apt that smells like old people, as if I were fast forwareded to post retirment...except I'm still sub-30 and not ready to move on. Ann always graces my life with new views and insights into everything, leaving me to understand and love things more than before. So yes, I miss Ann terribly. But only a few more weeks...

I have missed the snow in SLC and warm reverie that lies in red rock cathedrals. However, I am learning the in's and out's, moods, light, and speech of the land locked up in California. The variety of land presents new personalities I am still getting to know. From sulfur topped snowy volcanoes to green seaside pastures. Even snow and ice form, move, and speak in new ways. New sounds, new faces and shapes in the lands.

That's the one comfort I have whenever I leave my comfort zone; there's always land, and land pleases my soul.

Nuku'alofa has the best Fancy Buns in the WORLD

2009-01-16T22:56:00.001-08:00

This is the Hot Bread Shop in Nuku'alofa. Don't know where that is? Its HERE.

These are the buns you buy at the hot breadshop:

If you ever make it to Nuku'alofa, I highly recommend them. They are a tasty treat.

The Yurt

2009-01-15T00:42:00.000-08:00

I took these photos on our last trip to the Logan Yurt near "Eh, Tony!" Grove. It was a tough trip as Ann was sick with the Scurvy, and Has had to shoot our last sled dog for food. That was particularly sad because he (Jeff, the dog) was the "B team" leader--the same dog that got the message to Nome Alaska in the famous Bombdiggity song; Iditarod.

The skiing was fun thoough, not the actually skiing, but the skining around part. The skiing really sucked, it was icy, so icy that I remember getting small cuts on my face from a faceplant, which was caused by the icy conditions, not my terrible skiing.

Its amazing how in those days we wore animal skis for clothing. And now, a year later, we have Gore-Tex and "Nylon" ski pants. Times have changed.

One thing that hasn't changed are the great sandwiches that Has and A-squad leader Phil showed us how to make. We would fry up eggs and sausage, cheese and a bagel that was also lathered with butter and make a huge pile of a sandwich. Then layer on some Tong Ot Siracha--you know, to keep us warm on those long winter tours to the groover.

I miss the winter. Today I was in Capitol Park in Sacramento. It was sunny and almost 70 degrees. I love the cold. Neko Case even agrees with me. Shes sings:

"In California, I dream of snow....and all the places we used to go....with the night fallin' down...now I'm livin in Korea Town, wakin' to the sound of car alarms.."

I miss Ann--my favorite touring partner!, I miss home, I miss the winter in the Wasatch. Now I am alone in Sacramento for the winter whilst Ann is in SLC to finish school--a very good thing, she loves school. Maybe I should start a fundraiser--you give me a plan ticket to SLC and I'll teach you to tele and a few magic tricks, maybe how to do a headstand--you know, just for fun.

Visual Cacophony's second art-protest: Success!!! Protest to Utah BLM. And SUWA fundraiser.

2008-12-13T08:41:00.000-08:00

(Jeffrey D Allred, Deseret News)

That is my friend Has Cone performing an Art Protest--Visual Cacophony's expertise.

Visual Cacophony is a group of activists who protest via community art stunts. We started Visual Cacophony last November with the "Shop Outside the Box" parade down 4th south in Salt Lake City.

Friday, Hasen Cone had black paint dumped on him just outside the doors of the BLM's Utah office at the Gateway to protest the resent oil and gas lease auctions on the 19th. There are sweet photos in the Deseret News and the Trib. Other media covered it as well. The Visual Cacophony protest is not over.

That evening Visual Cacophony and Momentum Climbing Gym hosted a fundraiser/art protest for SUWA. Every dollar for SUWA raised be the end of Dec will be matched 1 to 1. We had a generous outpouring of support and donation from the outdoor industry for a gear auction and other companies donated services as well. We raised thousands of dollars (they still need thousands more). Attendants also participated in two other artistic protests for against the BLM. One involved drilling a hole in a large image of an arch in Southern Utah and then signing the back as an art-petition. The other project involved filling a vile with used motor oil and closing it with the attendant's signature and a message to the BLM.

Both art protests will be delivered to the BLM on Friday the 19th at 9am as part of a larger protest supported by SUWA and other organizations. I want you all to be there if you can make it. It should be a lot of fun.

I also must say that creative protesting, such as those put on by Visual Cacophony, are effective in getting the word out and creating an interesting rhetorical situation to engage others in a political discussion they might otherwise miss. Without such a stunt, as performed yesterday, the media's story would have been dry and people may have just passed it. So it also provides a visual element that people respond to. And it's a lot of fun to create such art protests.

Every time I participate in such discussion sparked by creative means, people respond, understanding is reached, and more people are educated and think more about the issues that surround them. People get involved simply because it's fun and they find out via the creative process that they have a connection to the issue at hand and become more involved.

I have also learned that a few people can make a big difference. Visual Cacophony and the events that followed including the fundraiser, all started with a bunch of people discussing things they cared about and then they organized, made phone calls, etc. They acted. In one week we had thousands of dollars in donations, protests organized, and a community excited. Time to put the 'active' back into activism.

Thanks for reading. Now visit this blog.

From the golden age of skiing: ~1994ish

2008-12-04T21:51:00.000-08:00

Clarks Rock!!

the switch from Green to Brown..other rantings...

2008-12-03T19:32:00.000-08:00

Warning: this post is full of grammar and spelling errors, incomplete thoughts, and may confuse the reader. but I hope it will provoke some thought and more questions.

I am feeling a bit mad at the moment. I was just chatting online with a friend of mine (who played Princess Leia in the 1992 Whittaker Production of "Star Gores") about the earth and jobs etc. Pretty much I was venting about how no one sees the correlation between our shopping habits, the environment, and how those to factor in to our health and other peoples lives.

We are so isolated from the whole processes. We as consumers don't see the waste of mass production, the land fills, and the by products. We don't see the pollution it causes and that floats around the earth and gets thicker every year. Yes I'm talking about your skis, your Polo sweater, your American Apparel, your prius, and "green" hemp clothes, the cars,,,....EVERYTHING adds up and ends up in landfills. This pollution ends up in our air and water and food causing damage to our kids and ourselves--a definite threat to families worldwide. And I am sick of all the green washing everyone is doing. Green products and building are still using land and resources. "Green" is just another marketing term to justify more consumerism in a more environmentally conscious world. It is another way to justify more resources funneled to more disposable products, more land sold off to development.

Anyways, my point is that re-use is the better path. Or, if there is a need for more products, they should be built using BROWN mfg. methods, not green. The "Brown" movement may be new to you. Well, if it is new here's the story: Brown is the slow-food philosophy applied to products and homes. All products should be made locally and sold locally--as much as possible. And, like slow food, all products should be compostable--thus the "Brown". The Brown movement changes in one respect; all products should be re-used as much as possible, and if they are not re-usable, they should be made into something else, or composted.

In my opinion it is better to buy an old house and make it energy self sufficient rather than destroy new land and use more resoures to build a new "green" home. Thus you can revitalize old neighborhoods, curb urban sprawl, and live in a "cute" home. I know its more expensive but 'cmon! What do we value more? Our wallet, or our world, our health, our children's health?

I have seen our national and local leaders use fear to enact policy(both environmental and other) and that scares me. The People--the 4th branch, has been silenced by over marketing, fear of an unknown enemy, debased self esteem, their power has been self-marginalize by the opiate of the mall and a terrible voting system, not to mention the silent-killer: apathy.

Our government has used "terrorist threats" to spy on us, give up our rights, expand executive power beyond imagination, deploy an active military unit on US soil for the 1st time in 200 years for crowd control, and justify the leasing of YOUR lands to Exxon and Shell oil for an outdated energy source that wont be online for 10 years...all in the name of "national security"!!!! Journalists are being arrested in public places, beaten by cops, protesters are unconstitutionally forced to protest in "free speech zones" justified by our government inciting violence in such protests.

Can you believe that? "National Security" as a justification to drill in historic places, next to parks, next to the Colorado river? Are you serious?

Anyways, if you made it this far my plea is that we all get active, start being citizen journalists, start organizing, start protesting, write letters, donate money, start talking to people.

Upcoming....

2008-11-26T17:54:00.000-08:00

Visual Cacophony is back an we are organizing our second major event. As I write, we are meeting and discussing the plans for our next action. Last year we started things off with the "Shop Outside the Box" parade down 4th South in Salt Lake City protesting big box stores. Art for social change.

This time we are flooding decision makers with art representing our views/protests on land Auctions in Souther Utah and raising money for SUWA to fight for policy change (I wrote about it here).

So I write to ask you to stay posted for more info and actions you yourself can do and take part in. In short: there is hope, we are not alone, and action will change things.

Now if you want to stop reading go ahead, but here is brief an update on the issue:

1)BLM and NPS created this letter/resolution where the NPS asked for the BLM to defer over 90 parcels of land from the land auction and the BLM deferred only 20. THIS IS NOT A VICTORY REGARDLESS OF HOW THE MEDIA HAS FRAMED IT. The NPS was made afraid of the big stick of the Bush administration.

2)A coalition of senators (listed here) have written a letter urging the BLM to postpone the land sales until valid environmental studies can be completed.

3) SUWA is trying to raise money to fight a legal battle.

4) There is hope that Obama will try and overturn Bush's environmental terrorism. Supposedly they have 60 days to overturn this?(anyone know more about this?)?

However, Obama won over the environmental vote with ease in his campaign which scares me because he has no loyalty to them, they never asked and he never promised anything to them. He never actually condemned oil drill and supported some. I don't trust him as neither should you. WE NEED TO HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE.

Stay tuned.

A tribute to my first ski pal, Mike May

2008-11-23T21:26:00.000-08:00

Mike May introduced me to steep skiing when I was in middle school. Back then we looked up to people like Doug Coombs and Glen Plake. We tried to ski twice a week, Friday afternoons and Saturday at Solitude. We'd find any little "cliff" we could drop or any steep shute and try ski them. We even named a few. We named one cliff "Clarks Rock" after a local rock band's ("The Obvious") song. Clarks Rock was about 15 feet high and ended in an awfull flat landing, perfect for bashing you chin on your knees--we thought we were so cool. I had a Jansport book bag that I converted into a skiing backpack that could carry my boots and a Walkman with some speakers so we could rock on the lift to Stone Temple Pilots, honest Engine, and The Obvious.

Mike was the cat's pajamas. Not only did he love skiing as much as I did but he had been to a Doug Coombs Steep Skiing Camp at Jackson Hole. Yes, Mike was pro, he even had a Life Link avalanche shovel. In the slow months with no snow we mounted rock skis with old Tevas and skied grass in the gully. We found that two skis were too slow so we mounted to sandals on one ski and skied it like a water ski. We called it the Primerva Ski. One time it snowed in the gully and after school we cut up an old jacket and made socks for the sandals and skied the primerva Ski in the gully on snow.

One day mike and I watched a movie at his house called The Blizzard of Aahhh's. That movie is pretty cheesy by todays standards, but back then it was awesome. Glen Plake and Mike Hattrup and Scott Schmidt. Wow, I wanted to ski that terrain. Steep, rocky, and deep.

Tonight I just watched that movie again--Ann gave it to me for my birthday. It took me back to the good old days when I discovered steep skiing and my desire for off-piste terrain began. Ann is probably laughing at me while reading this, as she did during the whole move (it is pretty funny). But I like skiing, I always will, and that movie, though old and cheesey, and full of gen-X self-proclaimed "bbad boys", got me WAY excited to ski this year. I haven't skied since Sept. 1, 2008, the longest I have been without skiing in over two years. Its killin me. I miss the cold, I miss sunrises in the white mountains, I miss skining up a hill and breaking trail in fresh powder, I miss snow in my face and the feeling of floating through it. I miss being out there, in my world, alone and isolated from the city and its burdens. I have got to get out.

ps: if you haven't read the post below, read it now.

Utah for sale, come one come all, strip our dignity and pretty places, suck the oil from the rocks!

2008-11-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard the news the BLM and Pres Bush have been approving RMP (reseourrce management plans) to justify the selling of YOUR lands to private Oil companies to drill, scrape, etc. all the oil from our desert. And if that's not bad enough try this: Usually oil development is touted as out of sight but go here to see where these properties are located. Notice the once right next to popular rivers, hiking places, mt biking, not to mention Americas most diverse and oldest indian ruins.

These oil companies machines will be visible from our famous parks like arches, you'll hear them, you'll deal with their trucks etc rambling past you, when you climb castleton tower you'll see almost all of them in the Moab area--check this.

I hope you are outraged by this. This is an assult on Utah's public lands and on our national treasures like Arches and Nine Mile Canyon. This is a direct attack on Americas Red Rock Wilderness Bill. This is a way for us to loose more public land and depend more on oil.

HOWEVER, there is hope. SUWA is our one chance and hope to prevent or hold up the process. They are mounting a legal case against the BLM and trying to work with Obama to stop this. They need money though SO ITS TIME TO PUT YOUR WALLET WHERE YOUR MOUTH/HEART is and donate to SUWA.

Fundraiser anyone? I had a friend who raised 25K in like a week to get some dudes to speak at a graduation--can we get that same zealousness here?

Anyone have any ideas? Maybe everyone should write Black Diamond, Vortex, Petzl, Liberty Mountain, Kirkhams, REI, Bluehouse, Solomon/Amer Corp., and anyother Utah based outdoor company to donate also.

Thanks for reading. NOW DONATE AND SPREAD THE WORD. Sitting around complaining to the choir wont do any good. Talk about it in church ("an environmentalist is a disciple of Christ" N.A. Maxwell), in school, at work, call people, what ever!

Still here...

2008-11-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

I have been absent lately. Moving, ranting and raving about Prop 8 and the ensuing hate speech and bigotry from the No on 8 side(not I didn't support it ether...more to come on that), and designing stuff, have all kept me busy. Oh ya, and also hating CA weather. California is the hottest place on earth and still holds true to every 80's stereotype promoted by MTV and the Beach Boys.

And WHERE IN HADES IS THE SNOW!?!?!?

If I still have any non-funny readers out there, thanks for reading.

No Bullying!

2008-10-28T19:37:00.000-07:00

I found this ad in a Taqueria's bathroom.

Thought you might need it, you know, just in case.

Obama and McCain are twins, seriously! Part 2

2008-10-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

Obama is just as nuts as McCain Below is a list of those similarities and if you need sources, please check their own websites, a quote from a friend of mine(it is a response that the video posted earlier is out of context-watch my previous post):

Obama is for:

"1. Increasing the size and budget of the military.
2. Leaving 150,000 residual troops in Iraq.
3. Funding for the Iraq war with no timetable for withdrawal.
4. Escalated war in Afghanistan and use of force against Pakistan and Iran.
5. “Terrorist” rhetoric that obscures US fault in conflicts.
6. Support for the Israel lobby and denigration of Palestinian fighters as terrorists.
7. So-called “free” trade supported by trade deals like NAFTA.
8. Off-shore oil drilling.
9. Big nuclear power and wasteful corn ethanol.
10. Defiance of the constitution through telecom immunity and the Patriot Act.
11. Refusal to support single payer health care.
12. Refusal to perform Constitutional obligation and hold impeachment hearings (or even censure George Bush).

If the editing job bothers you, perhaps you would like the information from a less biased source: Obama’s website."

More here.

Obama and McCain are twins, seriously!

2008-10-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

2008-10-18T20:42:00.000-07:00

Just a photo from my trip to the Philippines. Maybe I will post more later. Eh, maybe not, idunno.

Skiing the Wasatch

2008-10-13T20:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight I remembered one of the best ski days of last season. My Bro. Jed and I toured back into Banana Days last April. It was right after a huge storm that dropped over two feet of new snow and the avalanche danger was mild. We had excellent fresh turns into days fork then we broke trail up to the top of Banana Days.

We were the first ones to get there after this huge storm. We had about 2000 feet of fresh snow-a whole mountain to ourselves. We skied and savoired those turns. Every turn was a wave of snow over you face, no bottom.

Days like that are not uncommon in the Wasatch backcountry. But that was my last day skiing in my home mountains before moving to Sacramento.And I was with one of my brothers so it stands out in my clutterd mind. I remember frlung like life was extra calm that day. Everything seamed more serene than usual. Even, as the snow falls and covers the earth, hiding things rough and things smooth. Hiding things dark, light, and of all colors, making everything even, as if it were all snow, the same.

The Wasatch mountains are some of the most beautiful mountains. And I love experiencing them in the winter, gliding over them, kick by kick, listening to the various personalities of every hill, gully, and peak. Wondering what mood they are in, wondering if they will allow me passage. Then, if I am lucky, or even proven prepared, swooshing down their slopes, flanks, and shutes, testing the terrain and feeling her response-still being tried. And of course laughing and whooping with every turn, savoiring the powder-cold, bitter, soft.

Skiing is just pure joy. It's fun 100%. The skin/hike up and the way down. It's meditation and laughter, its a deep and light hearted conversation with the mountains and friends, it's refreshingly cold, it's physical and mental.

And I can't wait to get out there and ski!

Makati, Philippines

2008-09-23T03:54:00.000-07:00

Just an update, no pictures, haven't slept in almost 22 hours...I'm way dizzy, like when you get off a boat after a week....

Hey all I am finally at the hotel in Manila, Philippines. I think its almost 4am in SLC right now. That was a long flight. During the first leg to HI I sat next to a couple who, I think, was traveling for their first time on a big plane. I took them like 10 minutes and two stewardesses to get their ear phones on--believe me, they were excited that they could keep the earphones. They were bickering the whole way, it was like a southern couple, transported through Homer Simpson's time machine toaster, from 1974. The second leg of the flight was long but the plane was almost empty which was nice.

Manila is HUGE! I feel like I'm in a mix between a landscape of terminator 2, James bond, and a Steven Segall movie. I seriously couldn't believe how big this city is. Its like 6 Manhattans all grown together. Lots of shanty towns. Lots of low riding silver buses with the front end that resembles a jeep, painted like something from India--one had a Michael Jordan doing a sweet dunk painted on the side. This place is nuts, seriously like something from a movie. It feels like a end-of-the-world scene of a movie, whole sky scrapers all gutted and just sitting, dark and lonesome. Below all sorts of people hurrying around in the small shacks and stores. There's a typhoon up north on its way to China so its raining hard. Maybe that's adding to the weirdness of this place. Its like Napoli on steroids.

Tomorrow the factory picks us up for a 3 hour drive to their little town on the Bataan Peninsula. I am looking forward to that, I hear it's real neat-o there. And I want to get some work done. I might have a day or two here at the end of my trip--so I can explore more then.

What's so great about Sacramento?

2008-09-19T14:59:00.001-07:00

Awesome Political Discourse.

Tress that fight back (this happens in our neighborhood at least once a month: a large tree drops a heavy branch on an innocent car, seriously).

Rare Giant Rodents

Opencongress.org

2008-09-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

This website is sweet. Read it daily, right after you read your Bible or Book of Mormon or Torah, whatever. Infact read it in the morning, then again at night.

HR 6384 - The Authors of this bill are nuts-o

2008-09-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

Look up the full text here

This bill is nuts. I read as much as I could (sadly, I don't have all day), and I was scared of how much freedom it gives to oil companies to drill where ever they want regardless of what we or the Federal government wants. It says that no federal agency can create any corridor for environmental or transportation purposed that would get in the way of oil drilling?

This is weird, if anyone has anymore info please let me know.

I don't get it. Right now, today, you can order a Prius that, with and aftermarket add-on (added at the factory) will get you 120mpg! In ten years I PROMISE you most cars will be electric. In fact in 5 years every car company will have full electric cars that don't use fuel. There are over 30 car companies racing to that finish line right now.

It will take TEN years for any off-shore oil to make it to your or China's gas tanks.

But by then the demand should drop quite a bit. I understand we will still need oil for all sorts of reasons. As oil jobs wain other industries will take their place. I just don't get why we are rushing to give oil companies complete right-of-ways to drill where ever they want. Where's the control?

Why are they doing this? Because it is an election year and both candidates of the faux 2-party system are in bed with big oil interests. And they know that you are all scared of high oil prices and during this scare everyone will be willing to give up more land to oil.

Thoughts?

HR 6401 eh?

2008-09-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

Anyone heard about this?

If I am correct it ensures that people who generate their own power can sell the excess power to the grid/power companies. Apparently this is illegal in some areas. I think its a good idea and I plan on sending letters to my Fed. Reps. to ask them to support it. Anyone heard anything else? I want to know more before I write.

FINALLY!!!

2008-09-06T17:52:00.000-07:00

The epic Whittaker Lake Powell death marches have been immortalized!

Click here to see how.

And here to buy the book (5th edition).

Still here...

2008-09-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of my friend Cody skiing the first tracks of the ski season on Sept. 1, 2008. The day before we skied in pouring rain. This day we skied at least 2" fresh powder and Utah's first snow of the 08-09 season. Not a bad way to enjoy Labor Day. I re-learned one thing: I love skiing. I am sitting here in Sacramento writing this blog thinking of reasons I can leave NOW and drive to SLC to ski again tomorrow on the same 250' patch of snow.

Ann and I didn't plan out a very nice weekend. Last week we spontaneously decided to drive to SLC to visit family and ski. The skiing was great and the family we saw was even better!

This week we decided not do drive anywhere. See, here, you have to drive AT LEAST 2 hours to see anything mountain or beach-like. So we tried a new restaurant and then went to the used book store. Here I bought some birthday presents and a history book on the Colorado Plateau.

Whilst browsing for books Ann and I found a guide book to Sacramento--this was why we came here in the first place; to find a book with "to do" ideas.

On the cover was a picture of a guy "hiking" along the American River just north of our flat. Now this place where he was "hiking" is about as pretty as the June grass on the side of I-15 in August. "This is the best they have to offer? THIS is the cover of their book!" We put the book down and I went home and read about my favorite place: Southern Utah.

2008-08-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

Hey guys. I am in Sacramento, still.

There's no snow around for miles and miles. This morning I browsed backcountry ski blogs for over an hour, collected photos and trip reports of trips I want to go on. I am still wondering when I will ski next, its been almost 3.5 weeks. If I were in SLC I 'd join Cody on a ski trip up to Timp. But, if I want to ski I'll have to drive 5 hours south to Tioga Pass and hike a ways. Maybe I will do that. The drive is pretty. Hmmmm....

I swear I'll post something more interesting soon. I've been way busy working for the man lately. I do like my job though.

California is a weird place. Every stereotype of the 80's CA is still true.

Also, I think I discovered a great secret: The democratic party is actually a front for the republican party. There goal is to get republican elected. They are republicans incognito. Think about it.

If I could start a fraternity it would be this:

2008-08-26T19:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites comedy sketches, EVER

Variations on the word: blog

2008-08-26T18:53:00.000-07:00

blogtown U.S.A.!

I am a child of blog.

In blog we trust.

Brog (braggin' blog)

Bloggard

One nation, under blog, divisible by 2 (2 party system)

Jared Thomson

2008-08-21T20:34:00.000-07:00

The most un-funny blog EVER, woo woo!

Jared Thomson

Sorry...another great tug at the ol' heart strings...

2008-08-21T20:04:00.000-07:00

But hey, at least I have pictures...
These lands are all threatened by oil development:

It will take TEN years to develope this into the "millions" of barrels of oil that Senator Hatch is promising us. Then once that oil is online it will be sold to the highest bidder in a global market. It will not be entering your gas tank or lowering your gas prices.

Next month everyone will be debating if we should ruin prisine wilderness to save a few cents in gas a decade from now (think how far we could be in alternative energy by then).

Hack politicians like Senator Hatch and Bishop who have been bathed in oil money for 30 years will tell you that it is a clean process, no damage, and is cheaper for us. The truth is that the in-situ processes are years out for practical use, the environmental impact studays aren't done, and all the approvals etc. aren't ready. If all this were taken care of, the oil companies would be scraping and digging on the land they already have leases on. It is not profitable, clean, or good for us, that is why we don't already exploit oil shale and tar sands. These guys are SO hungry for oil money that they are willing to destroy one of Americas oldest and largest collection of primitive rock art!

Please take a moment and write your senators and state legislators (if in Utah) and tell them to oppose oil shale development. Developing oil shale and tar sands would be a sin of mis-stewardship and unrighteous dominion our 3rd and 4th generation children (and us) will pay for.

Here is a map of some of the threatened areas:

More here:
http://ostseis.anl.gov/guide/maps/index.cfm

More photos of what land looks like during oil production:
http://www.suwa.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=5949&view=UserAlbum
http://www.suwa.org/site/PhotoAlbumUser?AlbumID=5917&view=UserAlbum
http://www.suwa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=work_OilandGas

Please write some letters, emails, signs, whatever. Do it now.

Stuff I listened to this week:

2008-08-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

These are recommended by me, click and listen (I recommend you podcast them in iTunes):

Listen to this and remember that this is still going on in parts of the world--Darfur:
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/rwanda/
Then visit: http://www.savedarfur.org/content

And on our representatives in Washington (ie: Corporate America):
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/congress/
You can see your senators expenditures online!

And on the father of Civil Rights:
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/marshall/

To get things started....

2008-08-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

This blog might be a little random. Mostly about things I care about. That means public lands in Utah--especially in Southern Utah, people, places, and other random stuff.
That does mean that things might get funny, or non-funny (not "not-funny" as in "serious" but non-funny, like when you tell a joke and feel a sinking feeling in your soul because that joke was SO not funny), serious, religious, misspelled,political, opinionated, frequent malapropisms...whatever.

O.K. then.