That was a great moment:
SIMON: Because most of the search crews are volunteers, the burden to taxpayers is low. Still, despite the tragedy, some have suggested victims and their families should pay for mountain rescues. Mount Hood has no such requirement. And most here believe rescuing climbers should be a free public service.
No insurance, no rescue. Good, real good. You guys are so warped on this program. I was once a member of a mounted search and rescue. It was rewarding, we practiced and had training sessions and became experts. We kept in shape and our horses were endurance trained. Get over it Anderson, there are just some people who give a damn without collecting a paycheck and you ain't one of them. What next?
Don't you all care about the immorality of money? Money is grossly immoral especially when someone is going to send you a bill for a failed rescue no matter how much they tried. Morality is not a concept well developed on AC 360.
Buffalo, NY in an average winter gets about well over 100 inches.
Here is your raw data, Bubba.
Pat Shingleton for Dec. 18
Arnold Finklin is a retired meteorologist who has researched 100 years of snowfall data to determine the snowiest cities in the Lower 48. The snowiest “inhabited” site is Blue Canyon, Calif. At a 5,280-foot elevation on the Sierra Nevada, its annual average is 241 inches. Soda Springs, Calif., near the Donner Pass, averaged 393 inches each year from 1931 to 1957. Alta, Utah, logged an annual average of 513 inches from 1951 to 2000. Mount Rainier National Park averages 682 inches per year. The snowiest Western town: Crested Butte, Colo., at 233 inches. In the rest of the country, Marquette, Mich.; and Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y., have averaged between 129 and 161 inches. Fastcast: Warm.Chris, one word) additional weather information: Chris Stevens will provide the fastcast and additional weather information through December 26. 336-2394, 336-2363, 505-0583, 709-0174
http://www.2theadvocate.com/columnists/pat/4941302.html
BUSH: I'm going to make you this promise: My administration will work with Republicans and Democrats to fashion a new way forward that can succeed in Iraq.
THAT IS A DESPERATE MAN.
... and the quote of the day ...
BUSH: Victory in Iraq is achievable. It hadn't happened nearly as quickly as I hoped it would have.
... ah, go ahead make a prediction... say something clever like, "... in the year 2007 we are finally going to smoke'em out."
BUSH: I'm not going to make predictions about what 2007 will look like in Iraq.
Let's get up to speed. It would seem the Chinese have more reverence for the USA military dead than Bush does. I think once recognized the NUMBER of dead once. He doesn't talk about it too often.
US death toll nears 3,000 in Iraq(Reuters)Updated: 2006-12-23 09:35
BAGHDAD - The US military on Friday reported the deaths of five more soldiers in Iraq as Defense Secretary Robert Gates ended a visit aimed at finding a new strategy to curb violence and allow US troops to withdraw.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2006-12/23/content_765983.htm
Let's see, what is Mike's latest update?
December 22nd, 2006 2:31 pm5 U.S. troops die west of Baghdad
By Christopher Torchia / Associated Press
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Insurgent attacks killed five more American troops west of the Iraqi capital, the military said Friday, making December the second deadliest month for U.S. servicemen in 2006.
This month, 76 American troops have died in Iraq, the same number that were killed in April. With nine days remaining in December, the monthly total of U.S. deaths could meet or exceed the death toll of 105 in October.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates flew back to Washington on Friday to give President George W. Bush his advice on transforming U.S. policy in Iraq after holding three days of talks in the war zone with military and political leaders. Gates was scheduled to see Bush at the mountain retreat of Camp David on Saturday morning.
The White House said Bush would meet his full National Security Council next Thursday during a stay at his ranch in Crawford, Texas. That session was designed to whittle down the options rather than make final decisions, said Dana Perino, a White House spokeswoman.
Bush is considering whether to quickly send thousands of additional U.S. troops to the country to control the violence. There are 140,000 American troops in Iraq.
http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/latestnews/index.php?id=8726
20,000? More? NO ! You didn't do good with the first 160,000 we gave you !!! Besides, Bush is such a flyin' liar.
COOPER: Well, John, how do the Democrats play into all this? I mean, how are they -- you know, there was a lot of talk about bipartisanship and -- and consulting one another. How is that going?
You all have to know that bipartisanship isn't going to exist. Not really. We can't trust the Republicans. They raped this country. Carpetbaggers, every one. I don't see anyone being bipartisan. Why? If the Democrats collaborate with the Republicans they will be as dirty as they are. I just don't see it. The Democrats have completely different values than the Republicans. They won't starve the troops but at the same instance they aren't the puppets the Republican legislature is. I don't see any Democrat covering Bush's tracks either. No Senator Spector moments or any of that. Basically, if Bush wants to do something NOBLE in his last two years the best he'll do is sign on the dotted line of well written and moral legislation. Cost effective, too. Might include some tax increases and rollbacks like subsidies to Halliburton and Dick Cheney. You know, those sort of things.
Insurgents offer U.S. 30-day truce to get out of Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/12/22/iraq.main/index.html
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The leader of an umbrella organization for Iraqi insurgent groups is offering the United States a one-month truce to withdraw all U.S. forces from Iraq and turn over its military bases "to the mujahedeen of the Islamic state."
In an audiotape posted on Islamic Web sites Friday, a speaker identified as Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Mujahideen Shura Council, said that if U.S. forces begin withdrawing from Iraq immediately and leave their heavy weaponry behind, "we will allow your withdrawal to complete without anyone targeting you with any explosive or anything else."
"We say to Bush not to waste this historic opportunity that will guarantee you a safe withdrawal," al-Baghdadi said on the audiotape.
Oh, yeah. I find that whole concept of a 'Ceasefire' very interesting. The Iraqis are actually saying they are in control of a ceasefire. Interesting. You have to know that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi is a generic name for the leader of the Baghdad rebels. He exists but that is like a code name. It's not real. I would love to know whom these men were. Iraqi police, maybe? Hm. So, according to this the rebels are rebels because we are there. Bush should accept the offer, it would allow an entire month to exit Iraq while cleaning up the munitions. Sounds like a good deal.
Yep.
I think I'll turn on the tube for awhile.
