Outside Magazine's guide to "How to be a Poser"

I recently was thumbing through the November, 2008 issue of Outside Magazine. It was a "Nutrition Special" to be precise. But as I turned to page 41, I couldn't help but be overaken by feelings of frustration, anger, flat-out disgust at what I was seeing...

Kings of the Mountain: Telluride's top mountain men guide us through the wilds of fall fashion

I gotta ask - REALLY? Am I really seeing this in an outdoor, adventure themed publication? The following pages showcased a firefighter, mountaineer, coach/adventurer, and a pro skier who dwell in the mountain community. The pages also showcased the thousands of dollars these guys spend on everyday clothing to fit their exciting lifestyles - the firefighter was wearing a $4,450 outfit, the mountaineer - $1,264, the coach/adventurer - $368, and the pro skier - $418.

Now you might be thinking, "Well, the stuff they use in their activities is made with Gore-Tex in addition to the other synthetic materials that help shed weight without sacrificing function for these types of activities. No, the spread was of them prancing around town in cotton shirts and trousers drinking beer and being licked by puppies.

Thanks Outside - for showing us all 'How to be a Poser'

waves

Ups and downs, highs and lows, crests and troughs.

My wave seems to be pushed by the winds of Gustav

I watch from the beach, where nothing really happens at all,

     as ripples begin to gather

The breeze now turns into mild gusts that bring new sounds

     to my senses

The crashing water draws me in for closer look, 

     maybe even a touch

It is gentle and easy to stand at first, at least until I am chest deep

But as the water does its work, my feet begin

     to leave the ocean floor

I long for the comfort of the shore

My doggy paddle can only do so much as the winds take 

     the water higher and higher above my head

Before I know it, I am in panic mode - truly wishing I were

     in a small pond 

Where the waters are flat and quiet and I am able to 

     see where two worlds end and begin

But as it is, I feel trapped by the great openness of the sea

As the waves reach further to the sky, I am picked up by them

     and able to see great distances only to look upon one of the

          greatest unknowns I have ever experienced

I soon descend into a liquid valley where I think my 

     toes may scrape the earth

I am lost here surrounded by shear walls of water blinding

     any view to hope

This uncontrollable ride has an ironic calm about it though

I see gulls and small fish acting as if nothing is wrong

Mortal words may not be able to describe what I am feeling

     but I sense a strange order and purpose to this chaos

The next wave approaches