Free Republic

Hundreds of residents of a luxury downtown San Francisco apartment building, 33 Tehama, were evacuated with a moment's notice from their homes on Friday after a burst water pipe flooded every floor of the building. Now they say they have no idea when they may be able to return, or where they will live as they wait. All 35 floors of the high-end SoMa tower were impacted on Friday after a 6-inch pipe burst on the roof or top floor and water started gushing through hallways and rooms. "On the second floor, water was dripping from the ceiling. It was...

Countries run more efficiently when there is less government intervention. Government certainly has its role in providing a strong military, adequate border defense, police and fire protection, and education. Unfortunately government intervention in the free market has caused again and again more harm than good. And government has now become a Hydra that we fail to legally slay. Voting in a new government has been discouraging; it is now impossible to rid ourselves of the encroaching octopus with sharped-edged suckers.

If you haven’t had a good look at this terrifying sport, it’s time for you to check out this video from the Pike’s Peak Downhill. On Sept. 8, over 50 of the world’s fastest skateboarders met up to compete on a breathtaking course set in Colorado’s most visited mountain summit.

The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to approve a defense authorization bill which included a provision that not only repealed the military ban on sodomy, but also repealed the ban on having sex with animals — or bestiality.

Missy Giove lived her life astounding those around her. The iconic mountain biker, who resided in Durango for more than a decade, won 14 national titles and was the world champion downhill racer in 1994. She screamed down slopes on the edge of control, landing in either an ambulance or on the podium. Her persona — she dangled a dried piranha around her neck and tucked her dead dog's ashes in her bra when she raced — and talent made her mountain biking's highest-paid athlete, earning her well over $2 million. Then last month, six years after she formally retired...

When word began circulating in Republican circles last spring that former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson was considering a run for the presidency, the reaction ranged from relief the party had finally found a suitable standard - bearer to squeals of delight about the actor/politician and his resemblance to former President Ronald Reagan. It was arguably the high mark of the campaign thus far. Thompson seemed to squander the summer as he considered his run and raised fewer campaign dollars than hoped. Once he hit the campaign trail, he was forced to acknowledge ignorance about some local issues when stumping across...

BTW, the only tickets left or $1,000 or $2,300 seats.

With his announcement that his Administration will now seek nearly $200 billion in supplemental funding for overseas military operations, President Bush is once again asking Congress and the American people to foot the bill for his failed leadership. The Bush Administration’s escalation in Iraq has not led to political reconciliation and our troops still remain in the middle of a civil war. As I have said before, I cannot and will not support funding legislation that does not begin to bring our troops home. Our men and women in uniform are serving bravely and honorably – funding a failing strategy...

Report: Dumped Cat Could Come Back to Haunt Hillary Clinton Campaign Sunday , October 21, 2007 As the “first pet” of the Clinton era, Socks, the White House cat, allowed “chilly” Hillary Clinton to show a caring, maternal side as well as bringing joy to her daughter Chelsea. So where is Socks today? Once the presidency was over, there was no room for Socks anymore. After years of loyal service at the White House, the black and white cat was dumped on Betty Currie, Bill Clinton’s personal secretary, who also had an embarrassing clean-up role in the saga of his...

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-Cuba), speaking at a Democratic party fundraiser in San Francisco yesterday, was remarkably frank about the Democrats' intentions to use socialist redistribution policies if the party gains power after the November elections.As reported by the Associated Press, Sen. Clinton said, "Many of you are well enough off that ... the tax cuts may have helped you. We're saying that for America to get back on track, we're probably going to cut that short and not give it to you. We're going to take things away from you on behalf of the common good."With her blunt statement,...

Clinton campaign fundraising Transcript: Times staff writers Peter Nicholas and Tom Hamburger and National Editor Scott Kraft answered readers' questions on Hillary Clinton's fundraising machine and its hiccups along the way October 22. October 22, 2007 2007-10-22 11:02:04.0 Administrator2: Hello and welcome to the Politics Chat! We're here live with Scott Kraft, Peter Nicholas, Tom Hamburger and Johanna Neuman! 2007-10-22 11:02:39.0 Administrator2: Welcome Scott, Peter, Tom, and Johanna! 2007-10-22 11:03:16.0 Administrator2: Feel free to submit your questions now! 2007-10-22 11:03:18.0 Tom Hamburger: glad to be here 2007-10-22 11:03:21.0 Scott Kraft: Tom and Peter: You've been covering the fundraising of presidential...

With an endorsement of sorts from George Bush, Hillary has now rounded up about all the big names and moneybags in Washington politics. The President predicts she will get the Democratic nomination, and everything seems to be going her way. Never has the adjective "golden" found a more apposite noun to modify than "Ms. Clinton." The woman has always had an affinity for gold. You can trace her appetite for bling back to her Arkansas days, when she was a partner in the Rose Law Firm. Questions arose about her billing clients, which have not yet been satisfactorily answered. Nor...

Ouch! Hillary Clinton's softer image is clawed over dumped catSarah Baxter October 21, 2007 AS THE “first pet” of the Clinton era, Socks, the White House cat, allowed “chilly” Hillary Clinton to show a caring, maternal side as well as bringing joy to her daughter Chelsea. So where is Socks today? Once the presidency was over, there was no room for Socks any more. After years of loyal service at the White House, the black and white cat was dumped on Betty Currie, Bill Clinton’s personal secretary, who also had an embarrassing clean-up role in the saga of his relationship...

Before Scandinavia: These could be the first skiers By Robert Marquand | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor BEIJING – Move over Bode. You may have competition you don't know about - among a sturdy skiing clan in northwest China. They are central Asians, Mongols, and Kazaks, living in the remote Altay mountains of Xinjiang province, where some claim skiing was first conceived. Using curved planks whose design dates back 2,000 years, the Altaic peoples are formidable skiers. They might not win a medal on perfectly groomed Olympic trails. But they can break their own paths, track elk for...

A spokesman for Bode Miller said he is unhappy with the way his interview with “60 Minutes,” in which he said partying had affected his performance in the past, was characterized in excerpts and media accounts. “We are very saddened to see that what is considered the pre-eminent news show in U.S. history has set off a firestorm by headlining a press release on a Bode Miller profile with an out-of-context and salacious headline involving drunkenness,” Lowell Taub, the ski star’s agent, said in a statement Saturday, issued from Adelboden, Switzerland. BODE MILLER Reaction from International Ski Federation President Gian...

AND THEN REALITY BEGANI don’t have time to watch television during the week so I TIVO my son’s choices that we watch on the weekend night which works best. He asks questions, has a very sharp memory, and uses all information to his best advantage (much like my wife). Most of the shows he enjoys are competitive and we are more often predicting losers rather than the winner/s. Until the ending segments of most popular multi-participation the bet is on who will be eliminated. As I considered this I recognized the reality of media and the repercussions henceforth. Suddenly the...