Fairweather

I'm not sure why you think I would be interested in that story. I have never professed any religious beliefs here whatsoever. The fact that you paint people with whom you disagree with such a broad brush speaks volumes about you. A few people here do, but you don't know me, so save the religion bullshit for someone else.

...but I don't want some left-wing nanny idiot telling me I can't if I decide I want to. Are you a book burner like your buddy Crux?

Fairweather, have you read Richard Clarke's book? He offers quite a different view on it. Clark has his own agenda. My point here is that the suppression of freedom of expression by those on the left seems to get a frequent pass at best, and active participation in the case of Crux. Do you really think that ABC would suppress a piece that portrayed Republicans in the same manner? No. The fact that I can't go out and purchase a documentary that portrays a point of view simply because a presidential candidate (and New York Senator - home of ABC) has the power to stop that DVD release is startling. The fact that one side of the political process has that kind of pull and the other does not is even more starling. The fact that the same lefties who claim to be gasping for air beneath Bush's heel are the same ones calling for the imprisonment of media executives is unforgivable. This ain't about the truth, Jon. It's about freedom...and hypocrisy.

authoritarian freudian? Huh? No slip at all. It's called humor. I didn't expect Old Joe to get it, but I thought you were a little brighter.

I really don't care whether or not the president can impress you with his verbal prowess, as long as he's effectively restricting your freedom.

Still doesn't explain what makes you stupid.

I'll just bet he also knows the difference between a comma and a period.

Aren't you one of the 9/11-truthers?

Nice dodge, Matt. What do you think of the LA Times story?

Yet you watch Fox news. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,295768,00.html

You may recall the hysterics of Crux, MattP, and others from the left here last year when the ABC docudrama "The Path To 9/11" aired. It was viewed by some as an indictment of the Clinton administration's failure to stop Osama BinLaden. At least one of these "freedom-loving" liberals were calling for the imprisonment of ABC execs! Well now it looks like those same evil right-wing media cabal have been suppressing the release of the DVD at the behest of Madame Hillary. Meanwhile, "Farenheit 9/11", "Loose Change", and other garbage circulate freely - as they should - with narry a peep from the loony lefties like Crux & Co. Who really believes in free speech and expression? http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/homeentertainment/la-et-path5sep05,0,2302280.story?coll=la-home-entertainment

Great Book! Very dark. I generally don't care much for fiction, or go out of my way to recommend books, but I just finished this - probably one of the best books I've ever read. Written in a very unique style. Couldn't put it down. Left me with a lump in my throat and unsure how I'll sleep tonight.

Trip: Mount Baker - Coleman Glacier Date: 9/2/2007 Trip Report: Climbed Mount Baker today with my brother-in-law and his son as a day-climb. Lots of crevasses and one very scary snow bridge just below the saddle. Protected/belayed across - but it's a bone-crusher if it goes on someone - and it's a fairly deep crevasse. I would suggest an end-run if it's possible. Didn't investigate. We climbed the Roman Wall through the cliff band at the top - heard it won't go farther east as usual - easy enough. A really big lenticular all day - 50mph+ winds and cold. Visibility above 9000 feet was on-and-off. The sun never came out.

Haven't you guys heard? BMI is out. Hip-to-waist ratio is the new standard of piggy-pignicity. 79 minutes up? Hmmm, not bad. But I'll take that bet. Were you carrying a fire hydrant or something?

How about Thompson's wife! There's some nice, eh, young, eh, yea....

This thread serves little purpose. Edwards has about as much chance at winning the Democrat party nomination as Kucinich - who just happens to be about the only honest liberal of the D-bunch.

From your second link: August 18, 2007 Edwards to keep investment in Fortress DES MOINES, Aug. 17 — The John Edwards presidential campaign said on Friday that Mr. Edwards would divest his portfolio at a New York hedge fund of investments in subprime mortgage companies that have foreclosed on victims of Hurricane Katrina. But the campaign said he would keep his $16 million investment in the hedge fund, the Fortress Investment Group. Mr. Edwards has frequently attacked such lenders for predatory practices that can tie poor people to loans they cannot repay, and has singled out lenders that have filed foreclosure suits against Hurricane Katrina victims. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Mr. Edwards had financial ties to such companies — ties that he now says he wants to sever. “John Edwards believes that nobody in New Orleans should lose their home because of Hurricane Katrina,” said Eric Schultz, a spokesman for the Edwards campaign. “Edwards has taken personal responsibility by cleansing his portfolio of any investments that may have ties to these practices.” The campaign confirmed, however, that Mr. Edwards would keep $16 million of his $30 million net worth in Fortress, a private equity fund with $43.3 billion in assets. The fund accepts investments only from institutions and wealthy individuals. I suppose if I were running for office there are a few things I would like to take back too. But our past actions and willingness to do right without duress is what we are. And Edwards stinks.

Jim and his commie brethren want to impose their world on me. They will lie, cheat, and steal to do it. I will resist.

I seems Google is only as productive as the willingness of the user to click on the links. Sorry Crux, no "Huffingtonpost" for your liquid refreshment this time - and this will require far more reading than you're used to... The Hedge Fund: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/10/AR2007051002277.html Legal Career, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwards Before running for political office, John Edwards was a personal injury trial attorney, specializing in representing people who were alleged victims of corporate negligence and/or medical malpractice. After law school, he clerked for a Federal judge and in 1978 became an associate at the Nashville law firm of Dearborn & Ewing, doing primarily trial work, defending a Nashville bank and other corporate clients. The Edwards family returned to North Carolina in 1981, settling in the capital of Raleigh where he joined the firm of Tharrington, Smith & Hargrove.[12] Edwards' first notable case was a 1984 medical malpractice lawsuit. As a young associate, he got the assignment because it was considered a losing case; the firm had only accepted it as a favor to an attorney and state senator who did not want to keep it. Nevertheless, Edwards won a $3.7 million verdict on behalf of his client, who suffered permanent brain and nerve damage after a doctor prescribed a drug overdose of anti-alcoholism drug Antabuse during alcohol aversion therapy.[13] In other cases, Edwards sued the American Red Cross three times, alleging transmission of AIDS through tainted blood products, resulting in a confidential settlement each time, and defended a North Carolina newspaper against a libel charge.[12] In 1985, Edwards tried a case involving medical malpractice during childbirth, representing a five-year-old child born with cerebral palsy whose doctor did not choose to perform an immediate Caesarian delivery when a fetal monitor showed she was in distress. Edwards won a $6.5 million settlement for his client, but five weeks later, the presiding judge sustained the verdict but overturned the award as being "excessive" and that it appeared "to have been given under the influence of passion and prejudice," adding that in his opinion "the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict." He offered the plaintiffs half of the jury's settlement, but the child's family appealed the case and settled for $4.25 million.[12] Winning this case established the North Carolina precedent of physician and hospital liability for failing to determine if the patient understood risks of a particular procedure.[13] After this trial, Edwards gained national attention as a plaintiff's lawyer. He filed at least 20 similar lawsuits in the years following and achieved verdicts and settlements of more than $60 million for his clients. His fee, as is customary in "contingency" cases, was one-third of the settlement plus expenses. These successful lawsuits were followed by similar ones across the country. When asked about an increase in Caesarean deliveries nationwide, perhaps to avoid similar medical malpractice lawsuits, Edwards said, "The question is, would you rather have cases where that happens instead of having cases where you don't intervene and a child either becomes disabled for life or dies in utero?"[12] In 1993, Edwards began his own firm in Raleigh (now known as Kirby & Holt) with a friend, David Kirby. He became known as the top plaintiffs' attorney in North Carolina.[12] The biggest case of his legal career was a 1997 product liability lawsuit against Sta-Rite, the manufacturer of a defective pool drain cover. The case involved a three-year-old girl[14] who was disemboweled by the suction power of the pool drain pump when she sat on an open pool drain whose protective cover other children at the pool had removed, after the swim club had failed to install the cover properly. Despite 12 prior suits with similar claims, Sta-Rite continued to make and sell drain covers lacking warnings. Sta-Rite protested that an additional warning would have made no difference because the pool owners already knew the importance of keeping the cover secured. In his closing arguments, Edwards spoke to the jury for an hour and a half without referring to notes. It was an emotional appeal that made reference to his son, Wade, who had been killed shortly before testimony began in the trial. Mark Dayton, editor of North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, would later call it "the most impressive legal performance I have ever seen."[15] The jury awarded the family $25 million, the largest personal injury award in North Carolina history. The company settled for the $25 million while the jury was deliberating additional punitive damages, rather than risk losing an appeal. For their part in this case, Edwards and law partner David Kirby earned the Association of Trial Lawyers of America's national award for public service.[13] The family said that they hired Edwards over other attorneys because he alone had offered to accept a smaller percentage as fee unless the settlement was unexpectedly high, while all of the other lawyers they spoke with said they required the full one-third fee. The size of the settlement was unprecedented and Edwards did receive the standard one-third plus expenses fee typical of contingency cases. The family was so impressed with his intelligence and commitment[12] that they volunteered for his Senate campaign the next year. After Edwards won a large verdict against a trucking company whose worker had been involved in a fatal accident, the North Carolina legislature passed a law prohibiting such awards unless the employee's actions had been specifically sanctioned by the company.[12] In December 2003, during his first presidential campaign, Edwards (with John Auchard) published Four Trials, a biographical book focusing on cases from his legal career.

You should try that sometime and see what happens.

Sitting outside the tent in the icy cold drab of the post sunset alpine. The meal just eaten sits like a chilled stone in the pit of the stomach. Another swig of water is forced down. Not out of thirst but obligation. To yourself and your friends who will rely on you soon. Loneliness. The air is noticeably thin now and dread of the impending sleeplessness brings on thoughts of home. Cool sheets and smooth skin. This is so stupid. Being here tonight. Then you remember. Fumble through your pack. The touch of a single point lights up the keypad in a pale blue glow. You take off your thick gloves just long enough to touch a sequence of ten numbers. They are well. She is well. You are well. All is now well. Tomorrow will be a great day on the mountain.

JayB - I think the Cobra rules have recently changed to narrow or close the no risk retro loophole. I might be wrong.

Lower your standards and move down here to Tacoma with the right-thinking people.

Well, KK, here I am still unemployed. My six months of health coverage that was covered by my employer has expired. I will now write a check for COBRA coverage for $1500 each month. I sympathize, Catbird. But I refuse to believe someone with your skills and education is unable to find employment.

Medved.