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Set against the sweeping vistas of Skull Mountain Island and New York City, the film, Silver-back Mountain, tells a very sensitive story of incest between-–King Kong and his brother, Ding Dong. Dispatched by their manager to cover the Empire State Building with a large "Eat at Mighty Joe Youngs" banner, they gravitate from monkeying around to forbidden intimacy. Both brothers struggle with their incest. Yet, they rationalize that they just were different--born different! Would anyone choose incest? No! Incest chose them! For them, being sexually attracted to a sibling was as normal as having brown hair and brown eyes. “God...

December 5, 2005 The Rev. Jean Schwien admits there are some days when she walks into the office of her Lakewood church and groans, "I don't want to be a United Methodist today." She has a hunch that some in her increasingly conservative denomination might wish she weren't. .....Adams also joins his colleague, the maverick former Episcopal bishop Jack Spong, in questioning the existence of a personal deity, and he says he doesn't believe Jesus is God. Schwien agrees with Adams about Jesus,... ......Schwien was alerted to Adams' work through her church's program director, Steve Walden, a Buddhist who's well...

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII, KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii (Nov. 18, 2005) -- Every Marine who has ever served has made some type of sacrifice in order to wear the “Eagle, Globe and Anchor,” but these sacrifices aren’t always paid in the form of sweat from countless humps and physical training sessions, neither are they from the shedding of blood on the battlefield, nor from the feelings of loneliness during long separations from family and friends while deployed. Sometimes the sacrifices made are simply the other opportunities that were passed up in order to join the Corps. Still, it can be argued...

11/3/05 Khajeh mountain, biggest unbaked mud architecture of Parthian era Zahedan, Sistan-Baluchestan prov, Nov 2, IRNA-Khajeh Mountain Complex, the biggest model of unbaked mud architecture remaining in Sistan area, is one of the most remarkable relics of the Parthian, Sassanid and Islamic eras. It is the only natural height left behind in Sistan area, where a palace, fire temple, pilgrimage center called Khajeh Mehdi and graveyard reminiscent of the past are still in good condition. The trapezoid-shaped basalt lava, situated 609 meters from the sea level, with a diameter ranging from two to 2.5 kilometers stands 17 kms to the...

U.S. Army medics from 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry treat and evacuate Iraqi soldiers and civilians Oct. 11, 2005, in the Khadra area in western Baghdad after terrorists detonated a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device in the area. U.S. Army photo 10th Mountain Division's Medic Training Pays Off in Iraq Training in a civilian hospital emergency room prior to deployment helped prepare Army medics for treating injured soldiers and civilians in Iraq. By U.S. Army Spc. Carlos Caro 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry BAGHDAD, Iraq, Nov. 3, 2005 — Thanks to the time they spent training in a Syracuse, N.Y., emergency room,...

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17, 2005 – Since soldiers of 1st Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, took over operations in the Khadamiyah district in western Baghdad Sept. 10, they've been conducting patrols every day, contributing to the security of Iraq. Oct. 15 was not much different from any other day except that these 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, soldiers had an opportunity to witness a historic event - Iraqis voting in a democratic constitutional referendum. "It was great to see the Iraqis get the chance to express their opinions," said Army Pfc. Francesco Borsellino, of B Troop, 1/71 Cav. "The Iraqi...

In the Appalachian Mountains, writes James Webb in Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America, “American flags are frequent, on the trucks and in the yards and on the porches. America got bombed and mountain people don’t forget, even if it happened in New York and Washington, because when it comes to fighting wars, mountain people have always been among the first to go.” In chronicling the Scots-Irish, Webb writes of the people who made him and, he argues persuasively, America what both are today. It is a close call on which benefited the most from that lineage. Webb is...

Taliban insurgents killed in mountain skirmish By Tom Coghlan in Kabul (Filed: 05/05/2005) Twenty Taliban insurgents died and six American soldiers were wounded yesterday during the latest in a series of bloody skirmishes in south Afghanistan, the US military reported. American forces in a mountainous area of the troubled southern province of Zabul called in air support from helicopters and jets to beat off a concentrated attack on a mixed force of Afghan police and American troops that was investigating reports that a local man had been attacked and beaten. In addition to the US casualties one Afghan policeman was...

Link post: access the article in the Chat section with the link below, and post any commentary there (this posting provided as a service to interested Free Republic citizens): Geology Picture of the Week, November 21-27, 2004: Touching the Void (Siula Grande)

A moderately amusing story inspired this week's pictures. I'd read impressive reviews of the movie "Touching the Void", and I finally went to the video store Friday to rent it. Guess what was on PBS Sunday night? Anyway, the DVD was worth it for the additional special features. I'd give the movie 4 stars out of 5, with impressive mountain scenery and snow. If you don't know the story, I won't give it away; Google searching "Touching the Void" will provide the story for anyone that wants to know it. The linked Web site has quite a few mountain pictures...

Link post: use the link to go to the thread with the pictures in the Chat section, where any discussion and comments should be posted: Geology Pictures of the Week, November 14-20, 2004: Student Fossil Find & Eiger View

Linked article is about this. Here's the interesting excerpt: "Paleontologists are hailing the discovery by a first-year geology student of a new species of amphibian, a salamander-like creature that lived 300 million years ago. -- Adam Striegel picked up a rock the size of a baseball along a road near Pittsburgh International Airport. He decided to show it to one of his lecturers, Charles Jones. Jones spotted some teeth and the outline of a skull. -- "It was immediately clear that this was rare," said Jones." And one of my favorite mountains (not a volcano: click for full-size version):

YUCCA MOUNTAIN UPDATE Scientists and the U.S. Court of Appeals reject plan, but Bush Administration says: We're confident in our science and we're moving forward." (Washington Post, 7/10/04) George Bush Is Making Yucca Mountain the Nation's Nuclear Dumping Ground FACT: 77,000 tons of radioactive waste will be dumped at Yucca Mountain over the next 24 years. That's one shipment every four hours, 365 days a year, for the next 24 years. FACT: A study by the Nevada Commission on Nuclear Projects estimates as many as 129 accidents as a result of the shipping of nuclear waste. Transportation routes put millions...

Claimed terror plot 'didn't happen'There's no evidence of Katherine Harris' claims about a bomb scheme, an Indiana official says.By DAVID HACKETTSarasota Herald-Tribune Aug. 5, 2004 VENICE -- The director of the Indiana Counter-Terrorism and Security Council said Wednesday that there is no evidence to back up a claim by U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris that a man of Middle Eastern heritage had plotted to blow up the Midwest power grid in a suburb of Indianapolis. Speaking Monday night at a gathering of 600 supporters at a rally in Venice, Harris characterized the plotter's arrest in Indiana as a striking example of...

Public release date: 27-Jul-2004 Contact: Greg Borzo gborzo@fieldmuseum.org 312-665-7106 Field Museum Ancient brewery discovered on mountain top in Peru Field Museum online expedition still in progress describes discovery of 'Beer of Kings' Archaeologists discover a 1,000-year-old brewery from the Wari Empire's occupation of Cerro Baúl, a mountaintop city in the Andes. Remains of the brewery were well preserved because a fire set when the brewery was closed made the walls collapse over the materials. Photo by Patrick Ryan Williams, courtesy of The Field Museum CHICAGO--Archaeologists working in southern Peru found an ancient brewery more than 1,000 years old. Remains of...

Though it's the highest point on Earth that's not in Asia (and obviously the highest point in the Southern Hemisphere), Aconcagua just doesn't get any respect.

WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court on Friday rejected Nevada's arguments against a building a nuclear waste site in the state, but ordered the government to develop a plan to protect the public against radiation releases beyond the proposed 10,000 years. The three-judge panel dismissed claims by Nevada that the Bush administration's plan to build the Yucca Mountain waste site was unconstitutional and said that actions by the Energy Department and President Bush leading up to approval of the waste site were not subject to review by the court. In a victory for Nevada, however, the court rejected the government...

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- An Ohio state representative wants to see President Ronald Reagan's image added to Mount Rushmore. Rep. Ron Young, R-Painesville, introduced a resolution Monday requesting Congress to add the former president's image to the South Dakota landmark. Reagan died Saturday at the age of 93. He was the nation's 40th president, and is credited with putting an end to the Cold War with the Soviet Union. "During the years of President Reagan, America laid to rest an era of division and self-doubt. Because of his leadership, the world laid to rest an era of fear and tyranny," Young...

One of Two Climbers Stranded on Mount Rainier Dies; Second Rescued by Helicopter The Associated Press Jun 3, 2004 MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Wash. (AP) - One of two climbers stranded on Mount Rainier died Thursday before the other was plucked from the mountain by a helicopter, officials said. Jon Cahill, a firefighter and father of four, had died by the time a party of five rangers reached the two men, who were stranded at 11,300 feet, said Mount Rainier National Park spokesman Barry Fraissinet. Cahill's death came a little more than two weeks after a climber was fatally injured...

<p>LONDON (AP) -- Britain's biggest-selling hiking magazine apologized Wednesday after its latest issue contained a route that would lead climbers off the edge of a cliff on Britain's tallest peak.</p> <p>The February edition of Trail magazine gives advice to walkers caught in bad weather on Ben Nevis in Scotland about how to make a safe descent.</p>

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 December 25 Venus and the 37 Hour Moon Credit & Copyright: James W. Young (Table Mountain Observatory), Used With Permission Explanation: At Table Mountain Observatory, near Wrightwood California, USA on October 26, wild fires were approaching from the east. But looking toward the west just after sunset, astronomer James Young could still enjoy this comforting view of a young crescent Moon and brilliant Venus through the the...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 October 14 Iridescent Clouds Over Aiguille de la Tsa Credit & Copyright: Ute Esser (U. Heidelberg) Explanation: Before the sun rose over the mountains, iridescent colors danced across the sky. The unexpected light show was caused by a batch of iridescent clouds, and captured on film in early September in Arolla, Wallis, Switzerland. The peak in the foreground of the above image is Aiguille de la Tsa....

In their Iraqi mountain hideaway Turkey's most wanted men stay loyal to the cause Michael Howard visits the Kurds' high altitude refuge as they become a thorn in the side of the Americans Wednesday October 8, 2003 The Guardian (UK) The route up to Osman Ocalan's headquarters, nestled in the rugged cliffs of the Qandilmountain high on the Iraq-Iran border, is treacherous yet surprisingly busy. Mule trains bearing the party faithful weave their way up precipitous paths, through dwarf oak and wal-nut trees, sheets of corrugated iron lashed across their backs like metal wings. "We are preparing for winter, not...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 August 31 The View from Everest Credit & Copyright: Roddy Mackenzie Explanation: What would it be like to stand atop the tallest mountain on Earth? To see a full panoramic vista from there, scroll right. Visible are snow peaked mountains near and far, tremendous cliffs, distant plateaus, the tops of clouds, and a dark blue sky. Mt. Everest stands 8.85 kilometers above sea level, roughly the maximum height...

<p>JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A mountain line was struck and killed by a vehicle in Callaway County -- another potential confirmation that cougars are making a comeback in Missouri, the state Conservation Department said Tuesday.</p> <p>The adult male mountain lion involved in Monday's accident appeared to be wild, with no obvious external signs that it escaped or was freed from captivity, said department spokesman Jim Low.</p>

Link post: Geology Picture of the Week, July 13-19, 2003

Interesting recent article about the Matterhorn: Intense heat puts Matterhorn temporarily off-limits to climbers

New Hampshire mountain range to get name change A 'bump on a ridge' soon to be named Mount Reagan Associated Press MOUNT CLAY, N.H. (AP) — A peak that New Hampshire is naming for Ronald Reagan is one of the tallest in the White Mountain Range, at 5,553 feet, but it isn't exactly a popular hiking destination. The rocky summit doesn't even bulge high enough over its supporting treeless ridge to be a distinctive peak, according to the Appalachian Mountain Club, which doesn't include it on its list of peaks over 4,000 feet. "It's just a bump on a ridge,"...

Life drains away from lost tribe of Mountain Jews By Tom Parfitt in Azerbaijan (Filed: 27/04/2003) One of the most isolated Jewish communities in the world is struggling for survival as its young people leave in droves seeking a better life in the West. The population of Krasnaya Sloboda in northern Azerbaijan has fallen to 4,000 from the 18,000 who lived here during the Communist era. Lured by the prospect of better wages and an easier life, young Jews are fleeing abroad, raising fears that the community could dwindle and die. "Soon there may be no one left," said God...

The Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department have reported an Amber Alert. The Pocono Mountain Regional Police Department is searching for Hadley Bilger, a white female, 13 years of age. She is 5'4" tall and 150 pounds, with straight, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing pajamas with a teddy bear print. She was abducted from her home on Pa State Route 940, Pocono Lake, Tobyhanna Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania on April 19, 2003 at 9:19 P.M. Her parents were killed by the abductor as she was taken by force from her home. Her abductor is reported to...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured , along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2003 March 7 The Star Trails of Kilimanjaro Credit & Copyright: Dan Heller Explanation: The night had no moon, but the stars were out. And camped at 16,000 feet on Mt. Kilimanjaro, photographer Dan Heller recorded this marvelous 3 1/2 hour long exposure. Here the landscape is lit mostly by the stars. Flashlights give the tents an erie internal radiance while the greenish glow of distant city...

MOUNT ADAMS - Two local men want their message about their support of troops to stand taller than any other. So they took it to 12,000 feet. Doug Black and Patrick Gallaher left their message on the summit of Mount Adams. "I think in the winter, a climber would understand that that was not an easy thing to do, to get it up there in the winter," says Black. On Saturday, Black and Gallaher reached the summit of Mount Adams and planted a flag. "Boy I tell you, when that flag went up, we instantly were rejuvenated and quite excited,"...

US troops search caves after mountain battle US forces are searching a vast cave network in Afghanistan after the fiercest battle there in almost a year. Hundreds of US and coalition ground forces were rushed to the area,and sophisticated air weaponry called in. There are no reports of US casualties . Two men captured during the fighting are being interrogated. Colonel Roger King said at Bagram Air Base: "At least 160 caves have been counted so far, quite possibly more than that. The search will be conducted in a deliberate manner to try to ensure that we don't miss anything."...

Does anyone remember the issue with which Iron Mountain records storage company came under fire lately - possible FOIA problems, govt papers acces, etc...?

'Italian Stonehenge' found on mountain By Bruce Johnston in Rome (Filed: 22/10/2002) A series of prehistoric stone structures, reminiscent of Stonehenge but taller and possibly earlier, have been located 3,500ft above sea level on a mountain in Calabria, southern Italy. The structures - now largely in ruins as a result of earthquakes - are mainly made up of two columns of large, square granite blocks, topped by a lintel. Measuring up to 33ft tall and 60ft wide, traces of them have been found over an area described as extending for "many square miles". They are believed to be the only...

Nebra, Germany - Archaeologists offered a first glimpse on Wednesday of a lost culture's holy site atop a German peak, and confirmed it as the source of the world's oldest map of the heavens. The exact location has been kept secret for weeks, amid fears that treasure-seekers would move in and disturb Bronze Age remains. The site is atop the Mittelberg, a 252m hill in the Ziegelroda Forest, 180km south-west of Berlin. Adding a spooky touch is the discovery that, seen from the Mittelberg, the sun sets every June 22 behind the Brocken, the highest mountain in northern Germany. The...

Science & Technology 9/16/02 Defrosting the past Ancient human and animal remains are melting out of glaciers, a bounty of a warming world BY ALEX MARKELS As he hiked near Colorado's Continental Divide in the summer of 2001, Ed Knapp noticed a strange shape jutting from a melting ice field at 13,000 feet. "It looked like a bison skull," the building contractor and amateur archaeologist recalls. "I thought, 'That's strange. Bison don't live this high up.' " Knapp brought the skull to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, where scientists last month announced that it was indeed from a...

UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS |PH: (403) 220-3500 | FAX: (403) 282-8413 Greg Harris, Media Relations (403) 220-3506 (403) 540-7306 (cell)August 15, 2002Centuries-old African structures have never been excavated U of C-led team hopes to unlock mysteries of Cameroon’s granite strongholdsA University of Calgary archaeologist is leading the first expedition to excavate the so-called Strongholds of Cameroon, which are some of the most remarkable stone-built structures anywhere in Africa.Located in the Mandara Mountains of northern Cameroon, the strongholds range in size from small standalone structures, to complex, castle-sized fortresses with  platforms, terraces and covered passageways. The curving walls on some of the...

Astronomy Picture of the Day Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2002 July 23 The View from Everest Credit & Copyright: Roddy Mackenzie Explanation: What would it be like to stand atop the tallest mountain on Earth? To see a full panoramic vista from there, scroll right. Visible are snow peaked mountains near and far, tremendous cliffs, distant plateaus, the tops of clouds, and a dark blue sky. Mt. Everest stands 8.85 kilometers above sea level, roughly the maximum...

<p>We obtained an album of photographs taken by a Navy SEAL commando team as it scoured the Zawar Kili terrorism camp in January.</p> <p>The photos show a maze of caves, brick-lined tunnels, living quarters and classrooms from which Osama bin Laden ran part of the al Qaeda terror network.</p>

  MOUNTAIN WARFARE IS NOT THE ONLY THING SLOWING DOWN THE U.S. ARMY By Jason Vest March 22, 2002 [A shorter version of this piece appears in the April 8 issue of The American Prospect. This version appears, with introduction by veteran Pentagon analyst and defense rerformer Franklin C. Spinney, on the Defense and the National Interest website.]INTRODUCTION & AIMLast fall I interviewed a number of current and former CIA officers who worked the Pakistan-Afghanistan border during the days of the mujahideen's fight against the Soviets. I also spoke with current and retired military officers, some with combat experience ranging...

Nevada Shuts Off Water to Mountain Nevada Shuts Off Water to Yucca Mountain Site Proposed As Nuclear Waste DumpL A S   V E G A S, April 10 — Nevada made good Wednesday on a promise to shut off water to the site of the proposed Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump, but the federal project won't run dry.The Energy Department is using a newly built 1 million-gallon tank and one small well for the site 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas.Department officials said the stored water, plus 400,000 gallons stored in other tanks at the Nevada Test Site, should...