Mt. Everest & Extremism in general.
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Mt. Everest & Extremism in general.
| Wed, 12-20-2006 - 7:25pm |
Would you risk life and limb to climb a mountain such as Everest? What if you married someone who was a climber, would you let them go? I wonder how these extreme sports enthusiasts get insurance? What drives them to such dangerous feats? Does anyone know anyone like this? I do not.
I watched the Discovery Channel last night. There are something like 200 dead bodies on Everest. With today's news about the search being called off for the two climbers on Mount Hood, I am both saddened and intrigued. I can't wrap my brain around the thought that someone would risk their life, losing an appendage or a limb for a sport.

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I can see it. People want to take it to the ultimate level. I think it is very selfish to do it if you got a wife and kids. But, most people I have met in the last couple ten years are the most selfish t#rds on the planet. That seems to be what society/whatever is teaching them, or is flat out popular these days.
I like to fly very old airplanes. I like that a lot. That doesn't qualify as an "extreme" sport, but, it seems that every year, people I know, or friends of mine, either have an "incident", or die, doing that. They knew what they were getting into, so did their families, and that is that. They spent years to perfect their "craft", or technique.
On the "Everest" thing, and those kind of things, and all other "junk" sports, I'm not going to cry one tear over those idiots. I am glad they are out of the gene pool. See ya, Wouldn't want to be ya! They are idiots.
At least being a pilot, the gubmint, or anyone else, will not give it to you, you have to earn it, and you have to want it really bad, or else you are standing on the ramp while someone else is flying.
I think I know what is "risky", and what is flat out stupid. And if I know you and you said you spent 60 grand to try and kill yourself on Everest, I feel sorry for your woman and your kids. And I think she has one, or several screws loose for not divorcing a moron like that beforehand.
I like flying. I've been doing it for years. Along with all of the people who have trained me. It takes time, effort, will, and every other good thing to do it right. Those people will not let me do anything to harm any one. Especially myself.
These junk sports people, well, they have nothing but money. Good. The sooner dumbsh#ts like that are out of the gene pool, the better off we all are.
That is interesting about the people who "explode". This is kind of a silly story but I'll share since it's 3 AM and I have a major caffeine buzz ...
I worked at a hospital for 5 years. I was probably two or three minutes late almost every day. At one point, I was working under a retired Army guy and my tardiness really ribbed his jigger. He sat me down one day, after several attempts at trying to scare me into being more responsible, and told me that he thought I was an adrenaline junkie. He said that I waited around 'till the last minute so I could play "beat the clock".
Coincidentally, he ended up having a brain tumor and after surgery was subsequently demoted. I'm sorry, I don't mean to make light of the situation but when he came back from sick leave, he really was a different person. He rarely lost his temper. Maybe the threat of losing his life prioritized things for him. That, or maybe it was just the fact that he didn't have to put up with my insubordinate a** anymore ; )
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Oh, lord. To begin with, as a person who has done pit bull rescue and who has owned bully breeds, owning a pitty is nothing to do with a "death wish". They are wonderful dogs.
Secondly, that puppy was six weeks old. Do you know ANYTHING about dogs? Do you know anything about a six week old puppy's mouth? IF the puppy was able to chew off that baby's toes, it would have taken HOURS. Where were the parents during that length of time?
Thirdly, maybe some people who do extreme sports/hobbys have some kind of death wish, but since you admittedly don't know anything about such sports, your over-generalizations fall flat.
Well, I *thought* I had responded to you, but it looks like my post was eaten by cyberspace. LOL
I love skydiving. Got into it in college - the guy I was dating was really into it, so he took me up. I'm taking my son up this summer.
I got into foxhunting as a kid - our Pony Club was invited out by the Master of a nearby hunt. He also happened to be the father of a friend, so I had a wonderful mentor. I've been hooked since my first hunt way back when. I'm also an avid foot hunter with Bassets. Overall, I prefer the Bassets as a breed, but still love following a good pack of Foxhounds.
If you are interested in foxhunting, most clubs are very welcoming to newcomers. Even if you don't ride, you can follow some packs on foot. And of course, the Bassets are always followed on foot. The Upperbay Bassets are in TN, but I'm not sure where they are in relation to Nashville.
OH, and speaking of Nashville - any way I can get you to FedX me some bar-b-que from the Loveless Cafe? I've been having cravings....LOL
It's lovely that you have done pit rescue and own bully breeds! My brother and sister-in-law own a pit mix breed themselves and she is a lovely puppy. Myself, I have worked in shelters across the area and owned puppies - so of course I have experience in the matter.
What concerns me here is that you have failed to comphrehend the primary gist of the post regarding adreneline junkies, and seem to jump at the chance to start an argument yourself. Did you read the post? Have you read this book? The post did not single out pit bull breed OWNERS - it was the fact that after reading the FIRST news article in national newspapers about the pit puppy, scores of people came forward to adopt the puppy WITH THE UNDERSTANDING that the puppy DID chew off a baby's toes (even though, personally, I doubt that happened). I posted it in regards to Sherri's post on the Mount Everest fascination after the publication of the John Krakauer book.
And regarding your love for extreme sports, if that's what you like to do, then do it. I have my opinion, and you have yours and that's the way it should be. These extreme sports, (and I use the word "sports" for lack of a better word - it is not a "sport"), such as scaling mountains, have very little to do with accomplishment and more to do with self-righteous and self-centered behaviors. You certainly have not accomplished anything to help the environment. Moreover, you do not have the right to never be offended when you hear a differing opinion on a subject to which you hold so dear to your heart.
In addition, perhaps a better example on this very subject -
>The post did not single out pit bull breed OWNERS - it was the fact that after reading the FIRST news article in national newspapers about the pit puppy, scores of people came forward to adopt the puppy WITH THE UNDERSTANDING that the puppy DID chew off a baby's toes...<
The following article...
"Presa Demand Grows for All Wrong Reasons"
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/02/07/MNW32356.DTL
(A snippet from this article...)
After the killing of Diane Whipple in her Pacific Heights apartment building made national headlines, Presa Canario breeders say, calls and e- mails from prospective buyers have tripled or quadrupled.
<<< it was the fact that after reading the FIRST news article in national newspapers about the pit puppy, scores of people came forward to adopt the puppy WITH THE UNDERSTANDING that the puppy DID chew off a baby's toes>>>
Perhaps those scores of people have the intelligence and experience to understand that it's not likely this makes the puppy dangerous - just what he is...a puppy.
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My comprehension is just fine. I've just chosen to highlight what I disagree with. If you don't like it, the ignore feature works really well.
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LOL - you keep right on believing that.
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You'd know this how?
<<< Moreover, you do not have the right to never be offended when you hear a differing opinion on a subject to which you hold so dear to your heart.>>>
Of course I do. Especially when the differing opinions are based in prejudice or ignorance.
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