Anyone else (possibly) getting a mandatory vacation come Tuesday?

[Dinner]

Uh, firstly, you wouldn't be able to see the railroad from inside the grand canyon, and second, the railroad tracks wouldn't spoil the view, not enough to matter.

Also, not that many people do actually get to enjoy the Grand Canyon because of the dumb lottery system they have in place and the Park Service's refusal to allow anyone to build something that would actually let anyone get to the bottom without spending 5 days hiking and obeying all their dumb rules like burying toilet paper and being reeeeaaaally sure they need help before calling for a rescue.

**** the National Park Service. It is an awful, and immoral organization, and nearly 100% of those parks would be better managed in private hands, ESPECIALLY the Grand Canyon.

The hike to the bottom took my friends and I less than one day. The hike back out also took about one day. Now, we took the Kaibab loop trail (well, we took the Bright Angel trail in and then the south Kaibab trail out staying the night at phantom ranch) but even less direct routes can be done in one day or two if you don't walk really slow. BTW the lottery system is very badly needed in just about any popular park in the country other wise our wild places literally would be loved to death by hundreds of thousands of people descending upon them all trying to hike the trails plus the National Park service does an excellent job of balancing mixed uses for the park lands so that day tourists can easily drive to the iconic locations, see them, and then go on their way while those looking for the true wilderness experience can still find that, thanks to the lottery system, where as without it many of the most popular trails literally would turn into a hikers highway with thousands of people crowding an area and ruining the true wilderness experience not to mention ruining the ecology of the area.

[The Mad Monk]

Much like Everest, I suppose.

[Dinner]

Thank you for continually making me infinitely glad that no one with any power in government shares your views.

He is just young and lacks experience with the real world including all of the negative impacts which would occur if the system he supports was actually put into effect. Personally, I, as a person who has spent more than a fair amount of time in our National Parks and National Forests (at least in the western parts of the US and Canada), can totally see where the National Park Service is coming from when they try to balance competing interests so that everyone can still find the experience they are looking for. I suspect as Reg gets older and actually learns what the **** he is talking about (as opposed to just repeating theories he has read) he will see the negative impacts and will actually change his positions on these subjects.

[Dinner]

Also Reg's whining about having to bury toilet paper (and feces) 50 yards from water is moronic. I don't hope he gets dysentery but all it takes is one inconsiderate jerk to crap where he is not supposed to and suddenly everyone using the creek or water supply will get sick not to mention the animals all get sick and once the animals have the bacteria then they spread it causing waters which were once clean and free to drink to become polluted (even filtering your water doesn't catch everything especially viruses like giardia). I have seen both stupid foreigners and stupid Americans both ****ting in open waters like Yellowstone creek and I would love to see them burn in hell fire for their crimes. So be considerate of other people and dig a cat hole well off of the trail and away from water sources because no one wants to step on your land mine (of poorly buried poop) nor does anyone want to catch disease because you're too lazy to walk a few yards. In any popular place you have to have rules like this or else you'd have morons like Reg spreading disease (this is why organizations like the Army have such strict rules about sanitation because there are always morons who try to ignore the rules).

[The Mad Monk]

If you really want to be safe take it with you and dump it on the evening fire.

[Dinner]

The intransigence of Democrats, from Obama on down to red-state senators, has surprised the GOP

All I get from that is that everyone expected Obama to continue to be spineless and cave to Republican demands just like he always did in the past. No one has been more critical of Obama spinelessly compromising with his own compromise while Republicans refused to budge an inch than I, however, it really isn't surprising that Obama has decided to finally stand up for principle in the first new budget after he got reelected as he cannot run again. It's an extremely pleasant change to see the man suddenly grow a spine and stand up to the bullies and thugs on the right.

[Guynemer]

I... almost agree with Oerdin? I mean, other than the herp-a-derp language about bullies and thugs?

I think I need to lie down in a cool, dark room and contemplate where I went wrong in life.

[BlackCat]

Doesn't sound good - hope the nice nurses wont tighten the straight jacket too much.

[MRT144]

It's pretty interesting how Democrats have been criticized by their own base for being spineless and not sticking up for what they believe is right, and when they finally do Republicans cry and cry like Democrats welched on an agreement to roll over and die.

[Sava]

Are "bullies and thugs" worse than "lions and tigers and bears"?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

It's pretty interesting how Republicans have been criticized by their own base for being spineless and not sticking up for what they believe is right, and when they finally do Democrats cry and cry like Republicans welched on an agreement to roll over and die.

FTFY

[Hauldren Collider]

Are "bullies and thugs" worse than "lions and tigers and bears"?

No. Those are all terrible sports teams.

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Obama outsourcing and leading from behind Thankfully, leaving his schedule an opening, now that is is known that Andrews Air Force base golf course hasn't been affected by the shutdown.

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/326819-smash-mouth-reid

[Captain ******* Kirk]

It's pretty interesting how Democrats have been criticized by their own base for being spineless and not sticking up for what they believe is right, and when they finally do Republicans cry and cry like Democrats welched on an agreement to roll over and die.

Both sides need to tell their bases to go **** themselves and agree to negotiate in good faith if we're ever going to get out of the impasse we're currently in. The Republicans were stupid ****s for refusing to negotiate on a budget before October 1st, and the Democrats are being stupid ****s now by refusing to negotiate.

[Dinner]

Bull****. They DID negotiate. They spent months working on a budget deal and in the end the Senate Democrats basically gave the Republicans everything they demanded in the budget (agreeing to an additional ~$80 billion in cuts) but no sooner was the agreement signed then the tea baggers came up with this new "destroy the ACA or we'll shut down the government and cause a default" nonsense. How can you negotiate with someone who has proven they're doing it in bad faith? When you reach an agreement you should hold up your side of the agreement and not try to tack on new stuff AFTER the agreement has already been finalized.