Free Republic

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) division of Calgary-based Ferus LP successfully completed in October what the company believes to be the first-ever hydraulic fracturing operation utilizing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as engine fuel in North America. Ferus' LNG Division was engaged by a major oil and gas service company in the United States to conduct the pilot project, which involved six dual-fuel 2,250 horsepower pressure pumper units, powered by LNG, to stimulate well performance in the south Texas Eagle Ford shale. The dual fuel systems allow for natural gas and diesel to be consumed simultaneously with no decrease in performance,...

Citing blighted buildings, polluted property and poor air quality, Forbes Magazine named Bridgeport as the fourth "dirtiest city" in America. But look at the bright side Bridgeport residents: Your city is cleaner than Fresno, Calif.; Bakersfield, Calif.; and Philadelphia. "Green" Mayor Bill Finch, who has frequently touted the BGreen2020 sustainability initiative to improve the quality of life in Bridgeport, was among many from the city to take offense to the ranking. ... The image of Bridgeport put forth by Forbes was similar to its portrayal on FOX's animated comedy show "Family Guy" two years ago, casting the Park City as...

Exclusive: Jesse Lee Peterson asserts minorities have found 'a physical messiah' President Barack Obama is the most divisive man to ever occupy the White House –period! Yet, 95 percent of black Americans worship him as if he’s the messiah. Why? Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx recently took the stage at the Soul Train Awards and told the audience, “Thank God, and our lord and savior, Barack Obama!” Foxx called on the audience to stand up and clap for Obama. His outrageous remarks were broadcast on national television, yet not one nationally known black leader repudiated Foxx. Barack Obama’s ability to...

President Barack Obama travelled to Michigan this week and made his case for class war in defense of the welfare state. We need to take more money from the rich, he said, or schools will not be able to afford books, students will not be able to afford college, and disabled children will not get health care. "Our economic success has never come from the top down," said Obama. "It comes from the middle out.It comes from the bottom up." Obama spoke these words a few miles from Detroit -- the reductio ad absurdum of his argument. If America continues...

Welfare has become a characteristic of President Obama’s domestic policies. There has been a surge in American citizens on welfare over the last four years, including a 50-percent increase in people on food stamps (from 32 to 47 million). It is a form of welfareship. As a citizen of France, I know such a society very well. France has 60 years of experience with entrenched welfare policies, beholden to a kind of “welfareship.” It is a democratic society based heavily on welfare, and distrusting the values of free markets. In 2009, 11.2 million French persons received welfare payments, out a...

Union bosses are fuming at the prospect of a Michigan Right to Work law, but New Yorkers concerned about protecting employee freedom and reviving their state’s flagging economy should consider Michigan’s example. It’s hard to imagine the Empire State adopting a Right to Work law — but it would be right for businesses, taxpayers and workers. Big Labor’s top officials huff and puff about Right to Work laws, but they never tell you what they actually do. That’s because nearly 80 percent of Americans support the Right to Work principle when it’s presented to them in straightforward terms. Right to...

Iran has infiltrated a team of Quds Force terrorist leaders into the United States to attack from within in 2013, according to a source. The source within the office of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader of the Islamic regime, said the team is to create instability in America through terrorism should the U.S. fail to accept the regime’s illicit nuclear program, increase sanctions, confront Iran militarily or intervene in the Syrian civil war. Members of the team, no more than 10 Quds Force officers, each lead cells totaling about 50 terrorists already in the U.S. The source is risking...

President Obama argues that the election gave him a mandate to raise taxes on high earners, and the White House indicates that he won't compromise on this issue as the so-called fiscal cliff approaches. But tax rates are already high—much higher than is commonly understood—and increasing them will likely further depress the economy, especially by affecting the number of hours Americans work. Taking into account all taxes on earnings and consumer spending—including federal, state and local income taxes, Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes, excise taxes, and state and local sales taxes—Edward Prescott has shown (especially in the Quarterly Review...

At-home 3D printing is on the rise, and what was once just a lofty promise is now a reality. More and more hobbyists are acquiring affordable printers, such as the Makerbot Replicator 2 and the RapMan Universal 3D (single/dual head) printer, to manufacture just about everything from toys to working clocks. Some hobbyists have used these printers for fast-prototyping items that are controversial -- or even deadly. It comes as no surprise that some would attempt to replicate weapons systems (or at least parts of them) in an effort to create a fully functional gun. It's not exactly clear who...

"I'm in the top two percent," said Peter Schiff, CEO of Euro Pacific Capital, this week on CNBC. "Right now, I'm paying 45 percent of my total income in income taxes ... You tell me, what's fair about that when medieval serfs pay 25 percent, I'm paying half? I don't care what the majority voted to do, they don't have a right to steal my money just because they vote for it." But according to most Americans, they do. And that's the problem. As America racks up more debt than God has ever seen on this earth, Barack Obama prepares...

Why aren’t Christians allowed to be offended? We’re reminded of this issue every year at this time as we observe the War on Christmas. And this sensitivity to offense doesn’t stop with Christmas. Why is it that we’re required to be silent while the gay agenda, feminism, multiculturalism, radical environmentalism, and globalism are deified and taught to our children, while the Christian worldview is vilified by the same government officials?

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A resident shot an alleged robber Tuesday morning in east Bakersfield, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office. The resident heard someone remove a screen and break a kitchen window to gain access to his home, so the resident armed himself with a handgun, the sheriff's office said. The suspect and resident came face to face in the hallway of the East Brundage Lane home, and the resident shot the suspect at least twice in the upper body. The alleged intruder, 26-year-old Arturo Jose Luis Estrada, got out of the house and stumbled about a half...

JAMIE DIMON: The Table Is Set For Booming 4% Growth, And 200K New Jobs Per Month Joe WeisenthalDecember 12,2012Jamie Dimon is on LIVE at the Dealbook conference talking fiscal cliff, the economy, and public policy. We're taking notes during his Q&A. Anything not in direct quotes. -- Says odds are politicians will do something between December 21 and December 28. -- On the impact of going over the cliff it might not be horrible... but it might be. -- 'We are one decision away from restoring our moral and fiscal authority in the world.... let's just do it."-- With...

For some reason, the quadrennial humiliation of the Republican presidential candidate now coincides with the release of the new Bond movie. Don't ask me why; probably a constitutional amendment I missed along the way. Last time round, Kevin Sessums interviewed Daniel Craig and, as a final question, asked which presidential nominee would make the better 007: Craig doesn't hesitate. "Obama would be the better Bond because — if he's true to his word — he'd be willing to quite literally look the enemy in the eye and go toe to toe with them. McCain, because of his long service and...

Legislation introduced Tuesday would give about 400,000 undocumented immigrants in California the same rights as citizens to unemployment benefits and various other government services.

Katy Perry recently joined Taylor Swift, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, and French former first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy in the ranks of prominent women who declined to identify themselves as feminists when prompted by reporters. Internet responses to this trend ranged from outrage over their false consciousness to snarky derision of their stupidity to concerned introspection about the failures of feminist branding. Another possibility that should be considered is that feminism seems largely irrelevant to an increasing number of Western women because it often appears to be at odds with their experience of reality and their desires. Bruni-Sarkozy explained, “I’m not...

Most LDS women wear their “Sunday Best” to Church, but one group is trying to encourage sisters around the world to wear pants on Sunday, December 16. The group is called All Enlisted. Their Facebook Page already has more than 600 followers and is gaining national attention. All Enlisted was started by a local LDS woman. Members of the group said this new movement is all about equality and not necessarily about wearing pants to church.

The last time the country faced a fiscal crisis, they devised some kind of hare-brained scheme that would have certain "default" actions will take place at year end. Oh the political class talked sweetly to us. "We'll put off difficult decisions until after the election," they told us. So by default, if congress does nothing, millions will be cut from the defense budget, the so-called Bush tax cuts will expire, and other pre-ordained expenses will be cut. Folks, those political voodoo artists don't want to fix a thing. Cause EVERYTHING THE POLITICIANS WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEY SCREWED UP! Think about...

THE NAME IS MISLEADING It isn't about a right to work but rather a right for workers to choose whether they want to join a union or pay fees that amount to union dues. The legislation prohibits what are known as "closed shops," where workers have no choice but to join a union or pay those fees. IT MOVED SWIFTLY The GOP majority used its superior numbers and backing from Gov. Rick Snyder to ramrod legislation through the House and Senate last week. They brushed aside denunciations and challenges by helpless Democrats and cries of outrage from thousands of union...

(Phys.org)—Until recently, the years 774 and 775 were best known for Charlemagne's victory over the Lombards. But earlier this year, a team of scientists in Japan discovered a baffling spike in carbon-14 deposits within the rings of cedar trees that matched those same years. Because cosmic rays are tied to carbon-14 concentrations, scientists around the world have wondered about the cause: a nearby supernova, a gamma ray burst in the Milky Way or an intense superflare emanating from the Sun? Now, Adrian Melott, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Kansas and Brian Thomas, KU alumnus and professor...