Free Republic

The Observer to accept same-sex union announcements CRISTINA BREEN AND KEN GARFIELD Staff Writers The Observer will begin accepting paid announcements of same-sex unions, Publisher Peter Ridder said Thursday.Ridder said his decision to allow the announcements is a matter of "simple justice and equal access.""We accept advertising from things we don't necessarily agree with," Ridder said. "How do I, in good conscience, reject a different lifestyle?"Ridder's views are expressed in a Viewpoint column appearing on Page 15A of today's paper. He writes: "Those who oppose such unions argued that our publishing them amounts to an endorsement of homosexuality. I don't...

Betamax finally laid to rest Fans said Betamax had better quality pictures Betamax video recorders are finally being phased out almost 20 years after losing the battle for dominance of the home video market to VHS. Betamax's manufacturer, Sony, has announced that it will make only 2,000 more machines for the Japanese market. They have not been on sale in the rest of the world since 1998. VHS became the dominant format by the mid-1980s Betamax was launched in 1975, and won many fans who said it was better quality than its VHS rival. Some 2.3 million Betamax machines were...

Fox fishes for reality in "Green Acres" HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - Days after news broke that CBS was planning a reality-series revival of "The Beverly Hillbillies," Fox Broadcasting said it is developing a nonfiction comedy that mirrors another hickfest: "Green Acres."While details are still being hammered out, the show will take a rich, upper-class family or individual -- possibly a celebrity -- and move them from a big city to a much more spartan existence, most likely in the South. Cameras will observe as the former socialites, deprived of access to their bank accounts and Beemers, attempt to get a...

<p>At least 250 federal air marshals have left the top-secret program, and documents obtained by USA TODAY suggest officials are struggling to handle what two managers call a flood of resignations.</p> <p>Sources within the program say marshals are quitting at a rate of about a dozen a week. And some days, scores of marshals are calling in sick to get a break from flight schedules they say are making them ill, sources say. One memo, dated Aug. 16 and sent to managers by the program's operations control center, says some marshals could face ''flights for 10 consecutive days.''</p>

Aycock bars essay contest after parents complain 8-28-02 By JIM SCHLOSSER, Staff Writer News & Record GREENSBORO -- Aycock Middle School has told the Guilford United Daughters of the Confederacy that the chapter's annual essay contest is no longer welcomed at the school. Aycock history teacher Jean Botzis, in a letter to chapter President Margaret Carver, said that after an Aycock student won local and state UDC essay contests last spring, "I have come to understand more fully the philosophy and goals of the UDC and found them to be against the basic goals of Aycock Middle School." Botzis, who...

Hege endorses Snyder over Dole 7-16-02 From Staff Reports News & Record Posted 4:20 p.m. LEXINGTON -- Davidson County Sheriff Gerald Hege gave a huge boost today to an underdog contender for the U.S. Senate, endorsing local lawyer Jim Snyder over GOP front runner Elizabeth Dole. Davidson County's most prominent public official said that while he respects Dole, she has lived away from North Carolina too many years to be an effective representative of its people. "She is from North Carolina, but she hasn't been around in a long, long time," Hege said in remarks in front of Davidson's former...

VEGGIETALES; MORALISM WRAPPED IN ULTRA SILLINESS July 15, 2002 (David Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061, 866-295-4143, fbns@wayoflife.org) VeggieTales is a popular entertainment format for children (video and music) with a focus on character traits, such as thankfulness, forgiveness, and obedience. The Veggietales materials are advertised as "Sunday morning values, Saturday morning fun." The first VeggieTale video, "Where's God When I'm S-Scared," appeared in 1993 and in the nine years since then, the company (Big Idea) has sold 28.5 million videos, not to mention the audio tapes, cds, books, toys, clothing, games, etc. Big...

Sheets Memorial kicks out Catholic student The Associated Press July 15, 2002 LEXINGTON | A 15-year-old student won’t be praying in a classroom at Sheets Memorial Christian School this year — because he prays the rosary. Ben Holmes attended the school until June, but school officials say they’re no longer comfortable having him as a student. “Our philosophy is the home, school and church have to complement one another,” said Dan Hightower, the school’s administrator. “The Baptist doctrine and teachings do not complement the Catholic doctrine and teaching.” Ben entered Sheets Christian school as a freshman last fall after moving...

So it's like this: the Lovely Lisa assigned me to make a CD of music for our reception, as we'll be tying the knot this coming Saturday. I've spent the past day or so going through the grooveyard of my MP3 collection and there's some potential material there, but I'm probably overlooking a lot of good stuff. Here's a sample of what I've got so far: "I've Got You Babe" (Sonny and Cher) "Something" (the Beatles) "Ring of Fire" (Johnny Cash) "Tequila" (whoever made that) "Istanbul" (They Might Be Giants) "Pretty Woman" (Roy Orbison) "Devil Went Down To Georgia" (Charlie...

Parents rally for school system 6-14-02 By BRUCE BUCHANAN, Staff Writer News & Record GREENSBORO -- More than 200 Guilford County parents, students and concerned citizens rallied Thursday evening in support of increased school funding. Kafi Zahra (left to right), Meredith Kolk, Bettye Jenkins and Charlene Johnston attend a PTA rally Thursday as Guilford County Commissioners deliberate their annual budget. (H. Scott Hoffmann/©News & Record) Speakers told the cheering crowd that the county commissioners should give Guilford County Schools its requested $7 million budget increase, even if it means a tax hike. "We're not here to blame anyone," said Kim...

EXCLUSIVE: SPIELBERG SIDES WITH BUSH ON FBI PRECRIME; FILM WARNS OF FUTURE GOVERNMENT ROLE; DREAMWORKS EXEC CALLS ASHCROFT 'SCARY' "I am willing to give up some of my personal freedoms in order to stop 9/11 from ever happening again," masterdirector Steven Spielberg declares... MORE...

<p>A new Doom for a new millennium is on the way, and it promises to be as groundbreaking — and as controversial — as its previous incarnations.</p> <p>More than eight years ago, id Software unleashed Doom on an unsuspecting world of PC video game players. The game, which took the first-person perspective of an armed-to-the-teeth marine attempting to annihilate hordes of demons, was heavy on action and notably light on storyline.</p>

<p>Sasha and Jaron Dean, along with Becky Swope, filed a lawsuit Friday in U.S. District Court in Davenport claiming the district violated their constitutional right to free speech.</p> <p>The fliers advertise Oneighty, an 800-member youth program at Calvary Church of the Quad Cities in Moline, Ill. The Tuesday night meetings mentioned in the fliers draw 400 to 500 people. The students also wanted to distribute "Truth For Youth Bible," a translation of the New Testament for teen-agers.</p>

POLITICSTrusting The Force, House Empties For ScreeningAfter losing six hours of House floor time Wednesday to resolve a jurisdictional dispute over the welfare reform reauthorization bill, House GOP leaders confronted a potentially more serious problem when roughly a quarter of the entire House said they would be spending the evening at the movies."They're all members with kids," said one GOP leadership aide. "It's a bipartisan effort."Fomenting the near revolt was a special screening - open to members - of the latest Star Wars film, "Episode II - Attack of the Clones."House leaders originally had scheduled the welfare debate to begin...

Here's the press release for the latest edition of Time Magazine which is on newstands now: ****************************************** COVER: Yoda Is An Action Hero in the latest STAR WARS Feature TIME Interview--GEORGE LUCAS: 'All democracies turn into dictatorships...That's the issue I've been exploring: how did the Republic turn into the Empire' TIME's JESS CAGLE Was First Journalist To See the New Movie, Which Opens May 16 New York - Yoda is the real action hero of the newest "Star Wars" prequel opening May 16, reveals TIME's Jess Cagle - the first journalist to see the entire feature this past Thursday,...

Anyone else going to Celebration II in Indianapolis in a few weeks? Looking forward to meeting any fellow Freepers who'll be there :-) I'll be with the rest of the gang from TheForce.net (along with our friends at Rebelscum.com). For more info see TheForce.net's Celebration II page and the Celebration II official page.

DUG'S REPORT: something I just added to TheForce.net.

Well... should Freepers now protest outside the White House as vociferously as they did when Clinton occupied the place? If not, why? If the Robinsons and moderators are so willing, I'd like to see this thread go awhile, if only because I'm curious as to what reaction there would be from members of Free Republic who have already seen an oath of office violated by a president once before. I'm wagering that there'll be equal loathing (if not more intense) of the same disdain for the Constitution, despite the guy being a "Republican". Or I can pray so, anyway.

Check out TheForce.net right at this moment :-)

Death By Journalism? One Teacher's Fateful Encounter with Political Correctness by Jerry Bledsoe241 Pages, Hardcover March 2002 ISBN: 1878086936 This needs to be said from the get-go: there are some genuinely fine people at the News & Record. I’ve come to know many of them over the years. Have worked alongside some of them on occasion. A few I consider sincere friends. Despite what I’ve read in Death By Journalism? I’ll still continue to hold their friendship in great regard. It’s just that some of their editors deserve an extended stint at Andersonville... the way it was during the...