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couchmaster
climber
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Topic Author's Original Post - Aug 6, 2014 - 06:01am PT
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I was both shocked and amused to read that Reuters carried a story that seemed to have been all but copy/pasted from a Supertopo thread. Anyone think it's a coincidence? They gave ST no attribution although they mention a Lisa Hathaway. I suppose that could have sounded awkward had they been truthful and added "As Lisa read on a climbing website forum from some dude named Coolrockclimberguy69...." A reminder that the news sucks that they take our bullshit right off the threads as sprayed. That news stories are to generally be taken lightly as the back story may be different than the front story. (google "operation mockingbird" for a starter course rehash on US media truthfulness) But the main point is really: what we all say and do here may have widespread implications.
"Popular, snakelike 'Cobra' rock formation beheaded in Utah
Reuters
By Jennifer Dobner
SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - A red rock pinnacle popular with climbers and named for its snakelike shape has been beheaded in the Utah desert, federal land managers said on Tuesday. The Cobra was one of dozens of rock formations in the Fisher Towers region of the Colorado River Special Recreation area near Moab, about 400 miles southeast of Salt Lake City.
Sometimes called hoodoos, the red-orange sandstone rocks have been sculpted over the past million years by wind and water erosion into spires, towers and pedestals. A popular attraction for rock climbers, the Cobra was a thin spire standing that some 50-feet high and affixed with a wide, flat cap rock. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management is investigating what happened, and early reports suggest heavy thunderstorms that moved through the region over the past week could be to blame, agency spokeswoman Megan Crandall said.
There have been no reports of injuries or damage, nor have any witnesses said they saw the tower fall, she added. Rumors the Cobra had "lost its head" began circulating in Moab a few days after a July 28 storm, local climber Lisa Hathaway told Reuters in an email. Some dismissed the claim, she said, because similar tales have often surfaced on April Fool's Day. But another climber decided to investigate and found the Cobra's tenuously mounted cap stone severed from the rest of the structure.
"Alas, it was no prank, the Cobra was beheaded," she said. The Cobra was far smaller than most of the spires in the area, but it was popular with climbers for its accessibility and squat features. "It was a fun, must-do, mini-summit," said Hathaway, who suspects a lightning strike may have dealt the fatal blow.
(Reporting by Jennifer Dobner; Editing by Daniel Wallis and Sandra Maler)"
Some copy/pasted words. Coolrockclimberguy69 said: "I'm calling BS. Super easy to clone stamp the summit boogieboard out of that pic. Think I'll head out there with me dag and go see for myself. I'll be back with pics in a couple hours. edit: It did rain like a mofo out here all night and in Moab, so maybe??"
and later he added (with "crappy cell phone pics in support)": "Yep, folks, sad to say that it's true. E.T. has finally phoned home. These are only phone photos so pardon the poor quality."
compare and contrast:
The Supertopo link to the original version posted here earlier (8-1-2014): http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=2460312&tn=0&mr=0
Reuters Yahoo news link dated "13 hours ago" (so 8-5-14):
http://news.yahoo.com/popular-snakelike-cobra-rock-formation-beheaded-utah-232838306.html
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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what we all say and do here has widespread implications.
And Kim and Kanye thought they were the only ones. We are famous!
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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And now the world knows. I feel for ya guy.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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f*#k off, world
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clinker
Trad climber
Santa Cruz, California
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Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu has been lurking to get advice on behavioural strategy. He wants to clean up his nation's perceived world view since bombing schools filled with kids hasn't gone over well.
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HighDesertDJ
Trad climber
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My favorite part about this thread is that it references another ST thread that references a MP thread that references back to the same ST thread. Rename this thread to "climbing circlejerk seen worldwide."
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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bosses everywhere are watching
us.
we become less employable with
every key stroke....
dragging our misplaced selves
back to our proper dirtbag kingdom.
as a matter of fact,
i'm a boss of two companies,
and my main employee,
myself, has made an obnoxious
clown of himself here
on this very site.
i saw it.
he takes drugs.
he drinks at work.
he curses god.
and he sleeps alone.
he dreams inside out.
right after i finish my coffee,
i'm going to go fire his asse.
the son of a bitch thinks
that he can traipse around the
internet carefree and reckless
and poke fun at the
greater establishment,
and not suffer consequences?
yea, well i'm here as your bad dream, bitch.
you can call me accountability.
you're fired.
now go climbing.
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coolrockclimberguy69
climber
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Lisa provided commentary to Jennifer (Trib?) and to Chris at R&I and I think that's how Reuters got their info. She somehow got to be the source for the story and the various news outlets called her directly. None of the news people that called me mentioned the thread, or knew what Supertopo was when I said that's where I first heard about it. I don't think any of the articles I've read mentioned this thread, but I haven't seen them all. Seems like they pulled all their quotes from other news sources that she talked to, not Supertopo.
There was a local base jumping fatality earlier this year and some news writers pulled a bunch of quotes and photos (without asking) off a friend's facebook page for their article and even posted the wrong photo of the guy. So beware what you write on facebook, too.
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WBraun
climber
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Hello World
How are you ......
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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It must have fallen across Soldier Summit and blocked the highway hence the 400 mile journey from Moab to SLC or back.
Hey, the stuff is barely more than caked mud. In geologic time it is perpetually washing away.
In Zion there are dozens of mass wasting episodes per year, and 31 years ago a 700' wall collapsed and cleared a 12 acre forest of mature lodge pole pine, in some cases knocking over 100' trees with merely the air blast from the fall.
It buried the base of the adjacent wall with more than 40' of debris which then permitted me to do the FA of Catharsis (hence the name) without having to climb the overhanging dripping moss groove that i had previously scouted.
A piece of luck.
As for "the news", they probably get their stories wrong more likely than not, and I for one am posting less and spending less time on the taco.
But thanks for the heads up couch.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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I can't believe they haven't picked up my "I like turtles" thread. Now that's reporting.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
dancin on the tip of god's middle finger
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whoa larry,
i just read that entire turtle thread aloud
with a back-drop slide show
at my own wake.
i faked my death
and ventriliquized the diatribe
from behind gray
lips.
thanks for that.
i gave you credit.
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The Larry
climber
Moab, UT
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Thanks for that Weege.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Yup.
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coolrockclimberguy69
climber
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Couchmaster doesn't like my crappy phone photos.
AREA MAN BUTTHURT OVER ONLINE PHOTO CRITIQUE
MOAB, UTAH (AP)A local man's feelings were hurt when accusations arose on a popular climbing forum about the quality of some photographs that were taken with his phone.
"I'm just sick of all the negativity on the site," coolrockclimberguy69 was quoted as saying on Wednesday. "I'm seriously thinking about deleting all my posts and leaving with those other ladies."
The accuser, Couchmaster, is also responsible for the outing of many thread-deleters on the site.
Matt Gilchrist could not be reached for comment.
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snakefoot
climber
Nor Cal
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and this is a surprise right? new to who, those who just got on the train?
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snarky
climber
vantuna
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We need to start deleting more threads, people!
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Ward Trotter
Trad climber
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Hey world: We apologize for electing a malignant narcissist ...twice.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
in the oil patch...Fricken Bakken, that's where
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TFPU, coolrockclimberguy69.......fricken hilarious.
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