Fairweather

AK, This might be painful at first, but you'll thank me someday... http://www.jbs.org/

AK, I'll bet you'd like to have a homo-erotic experience with Kofi Annan since you grab your ankles at the very mention of his name. No comment regarding your corrupt UN brothers who filled their bank accounts, skimmed and spent oil-for-food money lavishly while Iraqi children starved?? It now seems that only a US invasion was able to pry these little bastards from Saddam's teat.

U.N. Warns Oil-for-Food Companies on Documents Thursday, May 06, 2004 FOX NEWS UNITED NATIONS — The office of the senior U.N. official in charge of the scandal-plagued Iraqi oil-for-food (search) program has sent letters to companies involved in the program telling them they should not hand over any documents or information without first clearing it with the United Nations. Click to Visit According to the letters obtained by Fox News, the companies "should retain and safeguard" any documents related to the program and should provide them to U.N. officials upon request. The letters came from the office of Undersecretary-General Benon V. Sevan (search), though aides signed the letters on his behalf. One of the letters was sent to a company called Cotecna Inspection S.A. (search), which for five years had the job of authenticating all goods being shipped into Iraq under the oil-for-food program. It's also the company that once employed the son of U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (search). Annan has said his son Kojo stopped working for the company before the Cotecna contract was awarded. The second letter, dated April 27, was provided to Fox News with the company name hidden. The source who provided the letter said it was one of the hundreds of companies authorized to do business with the oil-for-food program. Both letters — as well as a third one made public earlier this week to Saybolt Corp. (search), an inspection agency hired by the United Nations to monitor the loading of Iraqi oil — remind the companies of their contractual confidentiality agreements. For example, the April 2 Cotecna letter says all documents and data "shall be the property of the United Nations, shall be treated as confidential and shall be delivered only to United Nations authorized officials." All three of these letters came from Sevan, who ran the oil-for-food program and who is accused of personally profiting $3.5 million through alleged illegal oil transactions. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill expressed concern about the potential conflict of interest, saying that U.N. officials who are themselves being investigated appear to be trying to control the information investigators can access. "We view our role in many cases as a catalyst. Ultimately, the truth has to be known and the U.N. has to disclose it," said Rep. Christopher Shays (search), R.-Conn. "We can't ignore the serious allegations of malfeasance. The U.N. is under an ominous cloud." Sen. John Ensign (search), R-Nev., said the most scandalous actions may still be to come. "We're afraid there could be a major cover-up that could (dwarf) the original scandal," Ensign told Fox News. "We all know in America the cover-up can be worse than the crime and we certainly don't want this covered up ... The United Nations certainly shouldn't be above the law." U.N. officials said the letters are standard procedure to remind companies of their contractual obligations. But a senior congressional aide involved in the investigation said that the longer the United Nations clings to these confidentiality agreements, the more it will suffer potentially irreparable credibility problems. Sevan ran the program for seven years and is retiring on May 31, but U.N. officials said he would remain available for the investigation. "Benon has stated quite clearly that he is innocent," Annan said last month. "He has indicated he will cooperate, as I expect all other staff members to cooperate." The U.N. chief declared that he was "very keen" for the three-member panel led by former U.S. Federal Reserve chairman Paul Volcker (search) to report "as soon as possible." And he promised that any U.N. official found guilty of accepting bribes or kickbacks would be dealt with "very severely." Sevan is currently out of the United States and has declined requests to speak to Fox News about his role in the program. He has maintained in the past that he did nothing wrong, and would cooperate fully with the Volcker investigation. The Volcker panel doesn't have subpoena authority and will rely on voluntary cooperation from governments, U.N. staff, members of Saddam's former government and current Iraqi leaders. They claim they have evidence that dozens of people, including top U.N. officials, took kickbacks from the $67 billion oil-for-food program. John Ruggie (search), a former U.N. assistant secretary general, told Fox News on Wednesday that he did not see the letters as a tactic to prevent investigators from getting needed information but rather as a way of conforming to the United Nation's general bureaucracy. "The letter did not state that no documents will be released. The letter stated 'check with us,'" Ruggie said. "They will be turned over to Paul Volker and that's where they belong ... Volker owns every document that's relevant to the oil-for-food program." OK. Before you slam the FOX NEWS source, I checked the "world" and "International" sections of ABC, NBC, CNN, and CBS web sites. No mention of this developing cover-up. (Too busy with their agenda these days.) Looks like the UN isn't going to be as 'cooperative' with the oil-for-food investigation as they professed earlier this week. The UN was against getting rid of Saddam all along...and we'll soon understand why. Fucking UN.

Brian Fellows Animal Planet. That's crazy!

The Tooth. South Face, of course.

I'm still waiting for an answer to my original question above. If your answer is "because Kucinich (or Nader) can't win!", then you have compromised your beliefs and you are helping to foist a deception upon your fellow Americans. Am I to conclude the following? Bush voters = core beliefs Kerry voters = compromised beliefs

: That's a keeper, Josh.

True. Frankly, I would like to see primaries go away. Let the party membership/leadership select their best candidate for the general election. Stop wasting taxpayer money on primaries, and let the candidates save their $$$ for the big fight. Primaries do make for an interesting vetting process though. And some of the best dirt for the general election is often shoveled up by one's own party! ala Willie Horton.

I think you just made my point since you did not cite any of your aquaintances who would vote 'Kerry' because they like the man or his ideas. "Anyone But Bush", eh? What does that say about core beliefs? I would also point out that I have many more "undecided" aquaintances than I do partisan. Maybe you should try to get out a bit more, Squid. Try to meet some folks outside of the greater Seattle/Portland areas?

Why doesn't the D party support the one man who stands up for their core beliefs??? Why do they put the forth the LIE that is John Kerry? Liberals are pathetic. They'd rather try to fool the moderate majority than tell us who they really are. I've said it before; I don't like Kucinich's beliefs, but I sincerely have to respect the guy.... Race Continues for Kucinich Tuesday, May 04, 2004 Driving all over Oregon in a minivan, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich (search) is speaking day after day to anyone who will listen as he continues his quixotic pursuit of the Democratic nomination. By the time Oregon Democrats vote in their May 18 primary, Kucinich will have campaigned in the Beaver State for more than a month. "The people of Oregon have an opportunity to help gently nudge the Democratic Party (search) on the issue of the war," said Kucinich, who is calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Leading Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry says if he were elected president, he would send more troops to Iraq. Also unlike Kerry, Kucinich would raise taxes for universal health care (search) and repeal the Patriot Act (search) and most trade agreements "That's what we're asking Oregonians to do, to help wake up the Democratic Party. And the timing of it is really exquisite, because the timing is just when the platform is being developed all over the country," Kucinich said. Kucinich said his main concern is not to win the nomination or even speak at the July convention, but to move the party and its platform to the left.

I too would vote for McCain over GWB, but you libs who think he's a 'moderate' haven't done your homework. He is clearly well to the right-of-center. Kerry cannot/will not beat Bush. Many liberals in the Dem party are just waking up to this fact. Kerry became the default nominee after Dean had his public meltdown and only now are party members beginning to realize the shit this guy has in his closet...not to mention the blatant and exploitable hypocricy the man exudes. FIVE mansions, worth a combined 35 mil! Yahts, SUV's, and a Ketchup company that has outsourced over 70% of it's workforce overseas?? WTF! I'll say it.... Mcain would beat Bush if the Republican nomination were up for grabs again. And he'd win the general election too. John Edwards, Democrat, would likely beat Bush too. As wise man once say...."you (liberals) chose unwisely". More to follow....

How about Cloudcap Peak? (Becky's red book-Nooksack Cirque)

Here is a picture I took in 1995. The icecliff is above and Hazard is just above and to the right. This as an area you dont want to hang around in for very long. We are actually returning from the summit and climbing back up the gully to Camp Hazard after traversing out of the chute. The kid in the yellow pants is my (much!) younger brother--a fellow cc.com'er who shall remain unnamed. This was his first climb of Rainier. (at age 14!) I chose this route for his first Rainier climb because of it's moderately crevassed nature, but it turned out to be quite icy and some front-pointing was required going up and coming down the chute.

While I will grant that this photo represents some of the worst that humanity has to offer, (assuming it is genuine) and it is disgusting on its face, I would like a few more details about the prisoner/photo in question: Was he responsible for the deaths of any Americans/allies? Was any valuable information aquired from this individual that prevented more attacks on our troops? Information that saved the lives of our soldiers, contractors, or innocent Iraqis? (ie: children on a school bus?) If the answer to either question is yes, then my only regret is that this picture made it into the public arena. I know this attitude will upset a lot of folks here, but think about how far you would go to save a friend/comrade. Family member? How far would you go to prevent another 9/11?

nice troll btw. How about "best tamborine"?

I did a day trip from Christine Falls to Camp Hazard a couple years ago, for a 7700 foot day. It was early June, and we were on foot...but I remember thinking what a beautiful ski it would be! The Van Trump is a nice, smooth, slightly concave basin that would be worth multiple climb up/ski down cycles. Higher up, The Turtle was typical sastrugi that would have made grated cheese out of a novice like me.

Best guitar in rock history: Eric Johnson, "Cliffs of Dover" ...and while we're at it: best banjo: Fleetwood Mac, "The Chain" best harmonica: Supertramp, "School"

Consider approaching from Christine Falls TH, and on via Comet Falls, Van Trump Park, and the remnants of the Van Trump Glacier. This approach will pop you out right at the base of The Turtle Snowfield and some fine camping. The extra elevation gain is not significant when you consider the gain/loss equation of crossing the Nisqually twice from Paradise.

Anyone ever heard of the pervert/Democrat named BARNEY FRANK? Sex w/ underaged boys was the charge, if I recall. As for the White House 'sex parties'....proof please. (and not some lame left wing RAG)

Aint it great having Mother Kanada take care of all your health care needs? Oh, the rascally communists! Cleary it's better to have your quality of healthcare be determined by your income like in the good ol' USA! You're still covered under your (rich) daddy's plan, aren't you junior? Remember, coverage ends on graduation day. You're a real crusader for the little guy aren't ya!

Aint it great having Mother Kanada take care of all your health care needs?

Not to minimize in any way the damage that these idiot prison guards have done, but this is a FAR CRY from the way the insurgents treat prisoners. AS I recall they shot that Italian prisoner to death recently. I would say that is a big step beyond mere humiliation. And let's not forget the savagery they demonstrated when they hung four charred corpses from that bridge in Falluja. And while we're talking about issues that are wholly damaging to our efforts in Iraq...lets talk about TEDDY KENNEDY and his speech on the senate floor yesterday. His words are also playing on Al Jezzera and he is providing moral support to our enemies. Teddy Kennedy should stop playing politics for once in his miserable life and shut his fucking hole.

Sorry to rain on your parade Blake, but John F Kerry is a member of Skull and Bones too. http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0122-10.htm

Good post Lars. While I have to agree with the data indicating that our planet is on the upside of a warming period, I still must take exception to the hysteria being generated by the left side of the world political spectrum. The jury on human caused global warming is still out, IMHO. Kyoto is/was a sick joke. But I am keeping an open mind on the subject these days.

So has the wheel...and the gear. I'm not trying to get too smart-assed here, but if words actually mean things when environmental lawyers argue their cases before the 9th circuit, should not words be the standard all around? I'm all for land managers having the latitude to make good decisions, but I think they are a bit too conservative when it comes to allowing the use of clean, quiet, human powered mountain bikes on public land.