O’Toole collected his money, having guessed correctly who the first Mt. Hood-identified-casualty would be. That’s how gross the gambling can be in the UK. Londoners are merciless with their wagers.

But if you think such activity is an abomination –and it is– you should take a look at the widows of recent Oregonian snowstorm/adventure deaths. A good long look.

One in particular comes to mind. That’d be the Kim gal, Katie. Raising money for her? Grieving for her more than others?

Rather than delineate the horror that she is, I leave it to the reader to review her online writing at http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=R2NYGnt_yfMadjJ-2Bc1tA. By my own emotional standards, I would have to guess that she IS living through a horror worse than the horror she just went through, and I only write this in the firm belief that others might benefit…and that she’ll never come close to reading my blah blah herself. Nevertheless, her own words speak volumes…and one could make a case for her having brought on The Horror herself. Having buried herself long before she said goodbye to James.

James? How’ bout Kelly James now? The first identifiable death on Mt. Hood. His widow.

Certainly –at this moment– she couldn’t be agreeing with the talking head experts who are waxing and waning as I write…about how his climbing party “wasn’t reckless” in choosing to make an ascent in winter.

Jim Whittaker, the first “American” (USer) to climb to the top of Everest, has been pontificating incessantly: “They were climbers who knew what they were doing. They were just pushing themselves to their farthest frontiers. That’s when people are at their best.”

All that US gusto up on the ‘ol pedestal. Right. I’m sure Kelly James’ widow feels that her husband was at his best when he was battling the snowflakes 11,000 feet up. I’m absolutely positive that being with his family the rest of his life in lieu of oblivion was the unreckless choice.

The immediate question that remains is whether or not Mrs. Cooke and Mrs. Hall will be getting the worst possible news from the so-called Pearly Gates area on Hood. The realm where Technology laughs at what they call Luddites. Where slackers and other “underachievers” are given no respect. What?! You can’t relate to Boyz feeling closest to God when on top of The Hood? Where USer values vie for –and get in spades– attention from the media …distracting us all from the grand disconnect between leisure bullshit and lesions in the land.

Widows and widowers both are being snowed by the values in our Wasteland. Ditto for all the orphans. The ultimate question is how many more USers (and used-up foreigners) are going to wind up being piqued by our putting such sick attitudes/goals on a pedestal?

Too many so-called activists (not daring to offend within the ranks) are going down that road, climbing that mountain.

Thinking they can honor the ‘ol USer dictum that –on their own time– everybody should be able to do their own thing.

Well, I’m no ideological fanatic, but it’s clear as freshly fallen chrysolite crystals on an uninhabitable ridge…that some bitch…some bastard is going to have to be piqued.

Our USer life is a bad bet for survival. Take a peek at the crud, crust and slush at our Summit. Something has peaked.