Post deleted by Chris Kavanaugh

I thought we had finished discussing this. Why do you sign up for a membership here just to re-ignite a conversation that you want to stop?

Not to add fuel to the fire, but I missed sumzing. Could you enlighten me, that I don't make a similar mistake?

>>Aron Ralston's attempt to litigate free speech is stupid

Considering that Chris just deleted a post from someone simply because that person made a public criticism of this forum, I find your tag line more than a little ironic. <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

If by "finished discussing this", you mean "we've said all we want to say and we don't care to listen to anyone who disagrees with us", then it appears you are correct. But it doesn't fit into my definition of "free speech".

Of course, getting a you-know-what from you-know-who didn't fit into Bill Clinton's definition of "sex", either. <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

It's really sad that people have to make fun of someone because of a personal tragedy. I'm sure he didn't do it for the attention. Reading the posts just makes me laugh. Maybe it's just because they are all so ridiculous! He is so cute and probably is getting a lot of women. So? I'll take him

Aron Ralston's Survivor Traits
First Appeared May 9, 2003, Page One, The Oregonian
Survivors of tragedy who emerge stronger share a number of traits:
Aron Ralston is the 27 year-old, Colorado rock climber receiving national attention for the courage he showed when he saved his life by amputating his right arm to escape from under a bolder that fell on him. The front page story about Aron Ralston in The Oregonian, May 9, 2003, was accompanied by this interview with Dr. Al Siebert about traits of survivors:

Reason
Survivors focus on problem-solving their situation. They control their emotions. They set aside panic and think logically during a crisis, especially about the true nature of the crisis and realistic options for solving it.

Focus
Survivors are 100 percent present in the moment. Thinking too much about past experiences or future possibilities distracts from survival. Survivors can say, "I have to do this or I will die."

Humor
Survivors are usually more amused than angry about their predicament. Aron says: "I tried to chip away at the rock using a multitool knife. You know, the kind you get with a $15 flashlight and it's free, which is probably how I got it."

Integration
Survivors must be emotionally healthy enough to integrate their tragedy and its consequences into being one part their larger life story. People who focus solely on a past tragedy and make it the central part of their identity are still being governed by the crisis.

Positivity
After a tragedy you will never be the same again. Making lemonade from lemons is crucial after a crisis. The key challenge is, how can you make something positive of this? How can you come out of this a better person?
for the complete story:
http://www.resiliencycenter.com/stories/2003stories/0305ralston.html

I used to think the Darwin Awards were pretty funny, until I lost a co-worker to a "Darwin Award" type escapade.

He was a really intelligent, quiet, softspoken guy; less than a week previously, he and I had volunteered at a Stampede breakfast. People who knew him said he was always willing to help out wherever he was needed.

He was really excited because his sister was in town visiting.

Then, on Thursday night, he got drunk with some of his buddies and boasted he could climb down the inside of the garbage chute in his building. He died early Friday morning in hospital.

I don't find the Darwin Awards funny anymore. Nor do I laugh at jokes made at Aron Ralston's expense.

other interesting links

News Article, Ralston and PLB's

NOAA, Ralston and PLB's

another Forum, Ralston and PLB's

another newspaper, scouts, Ralston and PLB's

another group that thinks Ralston made mistakes

An ardent if demonstrably reckless outdoorsman, Ralston ...

"And I felt guilt that I hadn't eve...t; - A. Ralston He even admits that he made a mistake here!

"That's still part of what I'm wor...; Ralston said. I think he knows now.

Ralston, a former rescue volunteer, fai...deeply regrets.

Ralston did question his own judgment in the outdoors following his brush with death in February.

Wonder what they are selling?

Another isteresting thing is the copycats, on the local news a couple nights ago was a story of a man who was trapped in a mine shaft and had to cut off his arm with a small knife to escape. I wonder if vutting off his arm was the first/only thought that came to his mind.

Maybe they're not selling anything.

Then again, maybe Ralston isn't threatening to sue them, either.

In fact, maybe the reason Aron Ralston isn't threatening to sue them is because they're not using his name to sell something?

Other than that, I don't see what point you're trying to make.

*raises hand to second Chris Kavanaugh's motion made some time ago to let the whole Aron Ralston episode die, because parts of this debate have moved beyond the numbingly repetitive into the inane*