That might get us a horse like Secretariat, but he couldn’t be put to the test. The Jockey Club doesn’t allow any artificial breeding practices, including artificial insemination, embryo transfer and cloning.

The guidelines are designed to *avoid* glamorizing suicide while still being sympathetic to the people left behind, actually. For example, one of the major guidelines is to avoid using the word “successful” to describe a suicide (ie. “He had attempted suicide before, but this time he was successful”) because that word…

I also recommend the classic nonfiction book “Night of the Grizzlies” for an example of this. It’s a very entertaining and suspenseful tale of two incidents in Glacier National Park. You know from the beginning that two people are going to die but he introduces a ton of characters so you’re left guessing. Is it the…

100% agreed with you on that.

It makes more sense if you understand what Exhale is. They’re a group that provides free, nonjudgmental support for women who have had an abortion and are struggling with it. They work closely with Planned Parenthood and other staunchly pro-choice groups (the PP I used to volunteer with referred women who asked for…

I’m pretty familiar with Exhale and I’ve always kind of thought that their “gray area” stance is because a big part of what they do is provide counseling services for women who are struggling with their decision to have an abortion. These women are likely to be politically pro-life and Exhale needs to strike a balance…

Thank you! I do search and rescue and it’s really common to rescue pretty dehydrated people who don’t feel thirsty, or who just take a few sips and feel like that’s enough even though they’re clearly not well hydrated. The altitude, exertion, weather, etc. throws them off and they don’t drink enough because they don’t…

I’m sorry if I missed someone else explaining this, but it’s important in understanding how creepy these books are...IIRC it’s not explicitly laid out, but it’s heavily implied that Jacob’s romantic interest in Bella was because he imprinted on her unfertilized egg (that would become Renesmee or however you spell that…

Sorry for the slow reply, I’ve been busy so only checking on my phone and apparently it and Kinja aren’t talking right now. ;) I’ve enjoyed our conversation too, and you’re right, she did do a bit of preparation so I should amend my previous statement to “a modicum of *appropriate* preparation”—learning to use an ice…

And I’m sorry to respond again, this will be the last time. I want to add something about your comment about even experts needing to be rescued. That is very true. If you hike long enough, you’ll get into trouble out there. The difference is that people who prepare correctly (I’m not even trying to frame this as…

I did read the book. She still wound up in deeper snow than she should have been in (to the point where she was unsure if she was even on the trail or not), and IIRC she didn’t actually check with a ranger station about the water tank, just asked other hikers. If I’m remembering that incorrectly, I apologize.

She wasn’t prepared, though...buying lots of gear doesn’t make you prepared. She wasn’t smart about water (she nearly ran out because she didn’t bother to check ahead to make sure tanks were full so she could resupply), she brought dehydrated food that she couldn’t actually cook because her stove didn’t work at first…

Of course not everyone is going to be as prepared as I would like. In fact, most hikers aren’t. But I’m going to speak up about it and I’m really going to be vocal about someone as horribly unprepared as Strayed, especially when her account is extremely popular and may inspire others to venture out similarly…

I’m a lifelong hiker/backpacker and do wilderness SAR and my opinion is that solo hiking isn’t the *best* idea, but most people do it and there are a lot of ways to minimize the risk. FWIW, I’d say it’s more dangerous for men. Crime isn’t really a factor in most wilderness areas (in my entire life I can think of maybe…

I’m one of those wilderness rescuers and it is part of the job but Strayed was uniquely stupid about it. She didn’t even test her gear to make sure she knew how to operate it before she left! Sorry, that’s suicidal. I still would have gone out and rescued her if she’d needed it, but the stupidity she displayed and…

It’s “raising Cain.” It comes from the same roots as “raise hell,” just with Cain (the first murderer, so a troublesome fellow) instead.

I go to a quiet wilderness area with my dogs (though any pretty, peaceful place would do...I’m just always happiest outdoors). If I have the energy, I hike. If I don’t, which I often don’t if I’m depressed, I just find a pretty place to sit and I read a book or journal or something. And I look at my dogs and think…

There’s also a ton of exegesis and theorizing about it because it’s a very common question. ;) Sorry for my facetious reply before, I assumed you were being silly too based on the “dum dum dum.” I’m a bit hungover and also busy today at work so this will be quick, but they’re not really diametrically opposed. I mean,…

o deer I never thought of that D: D: :D

I will be very upfront here and say that I grew up in a multi-faith household; my mother is Christian and my father is Hindu, so while I have found a Christian denomination that fits my belief, it is a bit atypical for a US Christian.